A Sith's Second Chance
by VFSNAKE
Summary: Vader gave his life for his son. He has slain the Emperor. The prophecy is fulfilled. But the Force is not happy. The prophecy was fulfilled too late in the design of things and sends its Chosen One back in time to where he can make a difference. Now Vader is in his prime, fully healed, sans the right arm being mechanical, and knowledge of the future. How will this play out?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1-A Turn of Events

The Force was a mystical entity no one person could explain or understand no matter how hard one tried or attempted to unlock its secrets. Many had tried. Jedi. Sith. Some unlock a few. Others? Not so much. Some could wield its power at incredible levels and others could barely make a data pad twitch. But many agreed that the Force, for those who believed in it, was a power beyond measure. It had a Will, a drive, a purpose, and a method to its madness. Everything it did, was done with a reason. Whether it was known or unknown to those who heard its call or felt its presence.

So when Darth Vader found himself alive after sacrificing his life to save his son and kill the Emperor, he was confused as to what had happened. He should be dead. Dead from his injuries finally catching up with him. Dead after being bombarded by Sith lightning and letting go of the Dark Side that had long since sustained his crippled body for over 20 agonizing years.

Only to find his body was no longer crippled. In fact, his body was different from the massive armored cyborg who once terrorized the Galaxy. For one, only half of his mask covered his face. Namely the bottom half. Why? He had no idea. But something told him it was necessary. To hide his face and identity perhaps? Raising his right hand to touch the bottom half of the mask, he stopped when he realized his right hand was like the one he had as Anakin Skywalker. Further inspection for the rest of his body revealed his left arm, his legs, and the rest of his body were that of Anakin Skywalker in his prime during the Clone Wars.

His eyes widening in realization and the fact he was breathing on his own, the Sith Lord looked nearby to see a lake filled with water. Moving toward it, Darth Vader looked into it like he would a mirror and saw even his face behind the dark hood that covered his head. The bottom half of his mask could not hide the face of Anakin Skywalker behind it and pushed his hood back to see the wild hair Anakin Skywalker had during his youth, the scar going down his eye.

Speaking of eyes, they were not the intense shade of blue like Anakin Skywalker. No. They were the eyes of a Sith. A powerful Sith. One who had seen and done much in his time and glowed with a strength few in the Galaxy could match.

Why was he like this? Why was he here? Where was here? It seemed so familiar and yet...Vader knew if this was the planet he thought it was...had the Force sent him here to be his Hell? Or rather what the Force's version of what Hell would be like for him?

Hearing noise in the distance, Vader moved from the small lake of water to the sounds that were happening nearby. When the Sith Lord made his way closer to the sounds, his once damaged, and now restored heart nearly collapsed on itself. For before Vader was a moment in time he did not see, but heard about from during the time when he was just a nine year old child.

The invasion of Naboo. The droid army of the Trade Federation marching into the city of Theed and oppressing the people within. He remembered Padme telling him about this when on Coruscant shortly after they had just arrived on the planet before the Jedi had him tested. How the army marched on the capital. How the people were frightened and unsure what to do. How the Viceroy gloated and acted like he won a great victory over Naboo with his superior number of mindless cheap droids.

It wasn't much of a victory in Vader's mind. Naboo had no real defense force or fleet to repel such an invasion. They didn't need it. They were a civilized society that had law and order in perfect harmony.

It was surprising such a planet could produce woman like Padme. Or a man like Darth Sidious for that matter.

As for Vader, he wondered why the Force in its infinite wisdom and power decided to bring him here? To this spot. This moment in time. Could it have something to do with the damn prophecy the Jedi went on about? Could the Force have felt it had not been fulfilled like it had designed and brought him here to alter the timeline so it did happen?

It was possible. The Force had a Will of its own. No one could dispute it. Jedi and Sith both agreed that the Force empowered them for the purpose of carrying out its Will when called upon. Few Jedi and Sith dared to challenge its Will and both sides suffered for it in multiple ways. Vader had suspected the Jedi Order went against the Will of the Force and even the prophecy with Anakin Skywalker. As a result, it favored the Sith, and allowed the Jedi Order to crumble into near extinction. It punished Obi-wan for the lie he told Luke about Vader betraying and murdering his Father by allowing the Sith Lord to end his long time hated enemy.

Even the destruction of Alderaan, as pointless as it might have been to a normal person, was the Force's way of punishing those who had tried to use Vader's children against him. Leia had no idea she was his daughter, something the woman should have known when old enough to handle such news just as Luke should have been told the truth when he became an adult. Instead, Bail Organa, and Obi-wan said nothing of the truth about the twins being connected to each other, much less their parentage. Not even the truth that Padme was their biological Mother. Vader could understand keeping him a secret for a little longer given his...notoriety, but Padme? Those two should have known about her almost from the start. As a result, the Force punished them both. One losing his life at the hands of his mortal enemy. The other died on the entire planet he ruled over along with the planet itself using the Death Star to get the job done.

At the same time, the Death Star (both of them) had been an abomination not allowed to be completed, much less used in any way possible. It went against the Will of the Force and thus the Force saw fit to have both of them destroyed before they could be used to their fullest potential in the war with the Rebels. The first one was used to punish Bail Organa and those loyal to him on Alderaan, only for the Force to destroy the damn thing to counterbalance the action.

When the second Death Star was being built, the Force saw fit to manipulate things so the Rebels would discover its existence. Regardless of what Sidious claimed, the Force had used the old Sith to accomplish its goal in destroying it, and Sidious in the process. The construction of the second Death Star was no doubt the last straw for the cosmic energy and decided to orchestrate the death of Darth Sidious when he least suspected it.

Too little too late though from what Vader could surmise. The Galaxy would no doubt be thrown into an even greater civil war. Panic. Chaos! No balance in sight even if Luke was fighting nonstop for the Rebel Alliance. One Jedi Knight, recently knighted from the way things had happened, against an Empire, trying to maintain the peace in the vast Galaxy without other Jedi to provide support, and learning while doing.

It was like a single pebble being placed in a soon to be roaring river's path and expecting the tiny thing to stop the entire river from moving forward. Impossible. Even for someone as strong in the Force as Luke. Not to mention it would take time to train new Jedi, which the Empire would no doubt try to prevent, or other anti-Jedi groups the Empire had setup throughout the Galaxy following the Jedi Purge to prevent the Order from rising up.

Luke would be an old man or possibly dead before the Jedi Order could return to some form of power an authority in the Galaxy. And there was no telling if Leia would have joined her brother in the ways of the Jedi. He got the impression Leia was like her Mother in the ways of politics and fight for justice there. Still, the power of the Force was in their blood, and Leia might reject it simply out of fear of becoming like him.

She clearly had his temper so her fears were somewhat justified in that regard. Though he was sure Luke would provide some measure of basic training for his twin to prevent it at the very least.

'It doesn't matter now. The Force has sent me back in time. Back in time before the Clone Wars started. Before Qui-gon was killed by that rabid animal Sidious had acquired by the name of Darth Maul. Before my...before Anakin Skywalker's freedom from being a slave. Before Sidious could set the final stages of the Grand Plan into motion and destroy the Jedi Order while turning the Republic into an Empire. I have to be careful. If I am not careful, I could damage the timeline where my younger self doesn't meet Padme. If that happens, Luke an Leia might not be born. I want them to be born. I want Anakin and Padme to fall in love, to marry, have the twins, and be what I never could have been to them. Not properly. I will make the prophecy be fulfilled and it will be done the right way with Sidious dead with the Jedi Order alive...but reformed with changes,' thought Vader with the Force nodding in approval of his decision and further proved to the Sith Lord why he was sent back in time.

To right wrongs. To counter the Sith with his future Sith apprentice. To make sure this Anakin Skywalker become the Jedi he was always meant to become had the Jedi Order not tried to push their stagnant ways on him. Vader knew he would one day clash with this version of Anakin Skywalker should he become a Jedi. Vader knew for the prophecy to be fulfilled, Sidious must be dead by this point to prevent any unwanted surprises as the two fought with everything they had. Vader also knew he would have to push his other self to the limit to get Anakin Skywalker to be at his level when they had their epic battle for the fate of the Galaxy.

The Sith Lord within him relished the challenge. Even if he knew deep down his Jedi counterpart would win in the end. It didn't matter. Anakin was him just as Vader was Anakin. So long as his Mother, Padme, and the twins survived to live happy lives, it did not matter to Vader if he died in the concluding battle.

Because in the end when it was all said and done...Vader had already won.

Tightening his right hand into a fist, Vader heard the sound of leather stretching herself to the limit while he let himself dive deep into the Force. Feeling it invade his being, feeling its presence fill his mind, his body, and his very soul. The Dark Side of the Force swirling around him like a maelstrom, a fury, a rage, and beast all wrapped up in one single form within the center of his being.

The time was now. The Galaxy. The Jedi. The Sith. Everyone who could feel the Force was about to get a massive wakeup call. From Yoda on Coruscant to Obi-wan here on Naboo. From Sidious to Maul. From the Nightsisters to the Nightbrothers of Dathomir. From minor Force Sects throughout the Galaxy and Force sensitive people in general to every sagely Force sensitive leader alive.

It was time for the beast that had been silent within him to roar. It was time for the beast that Sidious had kept leashed for 20 years from being let out and surpassing him to roar. To be heard loud and clear for all those who could see and hear him through the Force to know one simple thing.

Darth Vader was here. Darth Vader had arrived. And Darth Vader was going to tear this Galaxy a new one before it could be healed properly.

And with that, Darth Vader made himself known to every planet, and every Star system by letting his presence, his power, his very being roar loudly. He let it roar like a kyrat dragon throughout the Force itself and shaking the very Galaxy down to the foundation.

(Within Theed-The Royal Palace)

Obi-wan fell to his knees. He suddenly felt sick. He wanted to vomit. It was only through sheer Will and the fact his stomach to was empty that the vomit didn't come out of his throat at this time. The dark power he felt that hit him and his Master felt like a stampede of angry rancors trampling over themselves to get away from something or chasing after someone. How could such a terrible power, such a _presence_ exist in the Force, and make him feel like this on the ground.

Beside him, Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn stumbled, but kept himself standing despite the amount of sweat running down his forehead and the back of his neck. Like Obi-wan, he also felt this power, this presence within the Force, and wondered why now of all times did the Dark Side make itself known to them. Had the Sith returned? After roughly an entire millennia of silence? Had a Sith survived the last Jed/Sith War and secretly started a Sect that hid from the Jedi? And if so, how did they do it? An ancient Sith technique past down from Master to apprentice? Was there just one Sith or was there two. Master Yoda had always suspected the Sith might return one day and theorized if they did, there was at least two of them in the Galaxy. A Master and apprentice. At the very least, the Sith had survived up until now and returned with just one member. Albeit, an extremely powerful one from what he sensed.

"Master I...what is this presence? Surely its not...its not one of _them_ , is it?" asked Obi-wan while gasping and looking up at his Master for guidance.

"I honestly don't know Obi-wan. I have never felt a presence like this before today. Its dark, powerful, and full of rage not unlike what you would expect from a Sith," said Qui-gon while looking off in the distance where he sensed this incredible power.

And his eyes soon widen when he felt it ripple like a massive creature moving through the water toward them. He was sure Obi-wan sensed it too.

"But...its not possible! The Sith have been extinct for 1,000 years!" protested Obi-wan while he struggled to stand.

"And yet, we just sensed the presence of one making itself known to us. To the rest of the entire Galaxy," commented Qui-gon while helping Obi-wan stand.

And Jar Jar Binks looking at him in confusion, but decided it was best to keep quiet for now since he didn't understand what the two Jedi were talking about.

"I have never felt anything like this before Master. How can...how can anyone be that powerful in the Force?" asked Obi-wan while finding the intensity from this presence had caused him to cry from the sheer potency of it.

The Jedi Padawan could only imagine what other Force sensitives were feeling when this Sith unleashed its presence into the Galaxy. The younglings at Jedi Temple were most likely going out of their minds! And not just them. But the other Padawans, Knights, and even the Masters themselves were shaken by this sudden shift in the Force.

"I do not know Obi-wan. I wish I did know. But that is not the worst thing we have to worry about at the moment. The Sith is heading this way toward the palace. Either to fight us or...," said Qui-gon while stretching out his senses and wincing from the intense presence of the Sith brushed past him harshly.

"Or?" asked Obi-wan curiously.

"He's come for the Queen," finished Qui-gon with worry in his voice.

"We have to find her Master. If the Sith manages to find her first...," said Obi-wan with a sense of worry for the Queen knowing the reputation of the Sith had always been one of brutality and cruelty.

"I know Obi-wan. Let us hurry," said Qui-gon before they ran deeper toward the palace interior with Jar Jar right behind them trying to keep up.

And being incredibly clumsy in the process.

(With Darth Vader)

Darth Vader kept his dark hood up to cover his face as he walked through Theed's Royal Palace. There was no point in letting anyone see it unless absolutely necessary. What was necessary was finding Padme, her Queen stand in, and the security detail with them that was being taken away by a small contingent of Trade Federation droids. No doubt to be killed or taken to some kind of encampment where the Viceroy would have all of them tortured. No doubt until the intended treaty, from what he recalled from what Padme had told him, was signed to make the invasion legal, and signed the planet over to the piece of bantha poodo.

Even now, the Force decided to make him increasingly angrier by showing him visions of the planet should the treaty be signed, and Naboo fall into Trade Federation hands. It was mocking him in a way. Saying there was chance he could fail and lose everything before it even began. The Force liked to do that to him. Show him things that made him suffer by showing the suffering of those he cared about when he was once Anakin Skywalker. He shouldn't feel anything for them since a Sith did not feel such things for others and was not the Sith way.

But for all that he was in life, in the old time frame or this new one, Darth Vader would always love his Mother. He would always love his wife. Even his children, despite one of them hating his guts for what was done to her prior to the lose of her home planet. While he could not claim them as his anymore, Vader still loved them, and wanted each of them to be happy. It was what he wanted. Craved. Desired. It was a burning passion that he would not allow to be snuffed out.

Not again.

Vader was a man who would move planets and stars to protect what he loved. Anakin Skywalker was the same way before his fall, but Vader couldn't fault his naive Jedi self. They both loved the same people, even when they shouldn't, and the Orders they both followed forbid it for one reason or another based on their rules.

But like Anakin Skywalker in his youth, Darth Vader was not one to follow the rules people wrote for them.

'If what I'm sensing is true and what I recall from Padme telling me about this day, they should be around here,' thought Vader while almost wishing he was seven feet tall with his ever imposing form towering over most beings in the Galaxy.

Oh well. At least he had his agility, speed, and skills from the days in his prime. A good trade off in his mind. Plus, his body was no longer in perpetual agony due to no longer being burned, or the prosthetics used that were painfully attached to him by those damn medical droids Sidious programmed to ignore medical protocols to provide pain numbing drugs to his crippled body.

Add into the fact Vader could now breath rich clean air again, eat solid foods, or drink water was another nice trade off to what he had before today.

'And there they are,' thought Vader while hiding in the shadows in front of them while staring at the large group of droid and people with the former surrounding the latter with blasters primed at the ready.

He saw Padme in her handmaiden disguise. Walking almost side by side with her Queen double, but was hanging back just enough to fool anyone watching them. Vader could still recall her fooling the Jedi when she revealed herself to be the Queen when she had gone to see the Gungans for aid. To think, a 14 year old girl could fool an experienced Jedi Master. Vader often wondered if she had fooled Sidious at any point. He liked to think she did at one point or another. She certainly had the skill to usurp him, much less provide a rare moment where the outcome goes against everything the man wanted when the Clone Wars broke out.

All the more reason to protect her from the old fool's machinations when she eventually becomes a Republic Senator.

"Halt!" commanded the droid commander with everyone obeying his order.

"What is it sir?" asked one of the other droids.

"Someone is up ahead in front of us," said the droid commander while readying its blaster and so did the others under its command.

"My Queen?" whispered Captain Panaka while both Padme and her double shook their heads no since they knew trying anything would result in disaster.

"Identify yourself!" ordered the droid commander while the robed figure before them stepped out of the shadows and walked toward them.

"You will surrender the Queen and her entourage over to me," order Vader in infamous baritone voice that made his enemies run over themselves to get away from oppressing form.

Sadly, these droids were not programmed with such self aware algorithms within their primary systems when it came to addressing dark menacing people.

"On whose authority? I received so such command or directive from the Viceroy," said the droid command with a hint of confusion in its overall voice modular system.

"He didn't send one. I am taking them under _MY_ authority," said Vader while he looked over where every single droid was positioned in front of him with their blasters raised and aimed at his person.

"And what authority is that?" asked the droid commander while not seeing the subtle hand movement of the man in front of him unclipping his Lightsaber.

Padme and her group did. Which is why they silently tensed up knowing this was about to get intense real fast.

"This," replied Vader before he ignited his Lightsaber and just as quickly as the red blade came alive did the droid commander lose its head before falling down.

"Its a Jedi! Shoot! Shoot!" commanded the next highest ranked droid of the group before they all started firing at Vader while keeping themselves spread out enough to avoid the possibility of "friendly fire".

Not that it matter since it was over within three swings of Vader's Lightsaber redirecting the blaster bolts right back at the droids. Not a single human was harmed, which was exactly what the Sith Lord was aiming for when he planned the action of killing the droid commander. Though part of him was tad disappointed in the fact it was so easy to defeat these nearly mindless mechanical creatures. Not surprising since Vader had fought super battle droids, Jedi, Sith, Sith assassins, rebels, bounty hunters, and other more challenging things.

So naturally, these battle droids provide little challenge to him.

"Queen Amidala. I am honored," said Vader before turning off his Lightsaber and walked toward the fake Queen to keep up appearances that he was none the wiser on the real Queen's identity.

"The honor is mine. You saved us...," said the fake Queen and waited for the Sith Lord to provide his name while the security team took the blasters from the down droids.

"Vader. I am Darth Vader," answered Vader before giving a small bow.

"Than you Darth Vader. You have provided us a means to escape from the grasp of the Trade Federation," said the fake Queen.

"For the moment. We should move quickly to a less populated area to speak in private," said Vader while the fake Queen nodded and the group moved to the nearby abandoned courtyard.

"Your skills back there were quite impressive. Did the Republic send you? Are you their Jedi Ambassador sent to deal with the Trade Federation and their actions?" asked Captain Panaka curiously while eyeing the Sith Lord with caution.

"No. I have affiliation with the Republic," said Vader to the Nubian Captain.

"But...you are Jedi," countered Captain Panaka while swallowing his worry when Vader slowly turned to face him.

"I am no Jedi," said Vader while smirking behind the bottom half of his mask.

"You wield their weapon," Panaka shot back while Vader's smirk increased.

Not that the group in front of him could see.

"The Lightsaber was not always a weapon exclusively used by the Jedi," replied Vader cryptically while moving slightly farther away from them.

"If you are not a Jedi, an Ambassador, or with the Republic...what are you?" asked the fake Queen while Vader's eyes danced with amusement despite everything.

"Complicated," answered Vader while turning his head slightly to look behind him.

"In what way?" asked Panaka while hoping this wasn't some assassin seeking to finish them off quietly and only killed the droids to remove potential witnesses.

"In many ways. Isn't that right...Jedi," said Vader while glancing behind him and was not surprised to hearing the sound of two Lightsabers igniting with two figures leaping down to engage him in combat.

Jar Jar was currently trying to follow them in his usual clumsy manner.

"Your time has come Sith," said Obi-wan while Vader found it amusing how impulsive Obi-wan looked right now.

And to think the older version of the man would constantly lecture young Skywalker about this issue of rushing into things during their own time together as Master and Apprentice. Hypocrite!

"On the contrary. It has only just begun," said Vader before he ignited his Lightsaber and effortlessly blocked a strike aimed at him by the impulsive Jedi apprentice.

The duel immediately went from one on one to that of two on one both Jedi fighting in a Lightsaber battle not seen between the two orders for over a millennia. The Queen and her group took steps back to stay away from this fight, which showed that while both Jedi were skilled with their Lightsabers, they were unable to overpower, or show nay signs of defeating the Sith Lord. If anything, the Sith Lord that was Darth Vader showed he was more skilled with a Lightsaber then both Jedi combined.

Padme winced when Vader broke Obi-wan's defense and kicked the young Jedi in the ribs with enough power behind the blow to send the man flying. She saw Obi-wan gasp while struggling to stand while Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn tried to best the Sith Lord on his own. By the time Obi-wan was able to stand under his own power, Vader had used the Force to send the Jedi Master flying across the courtyard with ease to land on his back.

'He doesn't even look winded from the fighting. What kind of intense training has this man done to himself to best two Jedi with ease?' thought Padme while Vader casually walked toward the clearly defeated Jedi Master with the glowing red blade pointed at his neck.

"Master!" exclaimed Obi-wan and moved to stop Vader, but was silenced by those very eyes of the Sith Lord when turned to glare at him before refocusing on Qui-gon.

"Your student is impulsive. I would think one his age would learn to control such actions, much less his stupidity," remarked Vader while Qui-gon looked from him to Obi-wan and gave the Jedi apprentice a look to not do anything.

"We are here to protect the Queen from the evil that has descended upon her planet," said Qui-gon with Vader nodding before he turned his Lightsaber off.

Much to the shock of both Jedi.

"So am I," replied Vader before taking several steps back so the Jedi Master could stand.

"You lie! This army is your doing. You are leading them to signify the return of the Sith Order!" exclaimed Obi-wan while Vader glanced at him before scoffing.

"By using third rate battle droids? Using a single station controlling all of them using technology put together by the lowest bidder? A Sith Lord always shows strength, power, cunning, and above all else...intelligence. Why use such inferior means of combat when there are other ways and better means of raising a powerful army capable of conquering the Galaxy?" questioned Vader while the Jedi apprentice had no real answer to that.

"Darth Vader saved us from the battle droids a short time ago. If he were an enemy, we would not be here right now," said the fake Queen while trying to be the voice of reason.

"The Queen is correct Jedi. If I were here to kill the Queen, we would not be having this conversation right now. As things stand, we must form a plan to successfully escape off planet, and away from the Trade Federation while the advantage is ours," said Vader knowing it wouldn't be long before the rendezvous and prisoner transfer of the Queen was looked into when not reported on schedule.

"Off planet? I will not abandon my people!" protested the fake Queen knowing it was what Padme would say in her place.

"And I am not suggesting you do your Highness. But staying here where you could be captured again is unwise since it is clear they intend to end your life," said Vader to the shock of the Nubian group.

"They wouldn't dare!" said the Nubian Governor Sio Bibble in protest.

"The Viceroy need the Queen alive to sign the treaty in order to make this whole invasion legal in the eyes of the Republic. If they kill her now, it would undermine their efforts to claim the planet," said Captain Panaka and was surprised when Qui-gon shook his head in disagreement.

"I'm afraid Lord Vader is correct Captain. The Queen's life is endanger the longer she is here. Treaty or not, something is out of place with this invasion. There is no logic to it. Someone like Viceroy Gunray only does something like this unless he was certain there was no reprisal aimed against him. My instincts tell me the Viceroy will kill you if you stay here. Treaty signed or not," said Qui-gon while Vader gave the Jedi Master a nod of thanks for supporting his strategy.

Obi-wan found it hard to believe his Master and the Sith Lord shared a common thought on how to protect the Queen.

"What do you suggest Master Jedi? Lord Vader?" asked the fake Queen.

"We must go to Coruscant. You must appeal to the Senate and the Supreme Chancellor for aid in repelling the Trade Federation," said Qui-gon before glancing at Vader to see what his thoughts were on the subject.

"I agree with the Jedi. As things stand, you have neither the might nor power to repel the invasion of your planet. Only with the full might of Republic can you remove the Trade Federation from Naboo. However, such a move in itself is easier said than done," said Vader while believing politics and bureaucrats would make it impossible to get anyone to provide aid to Naboo.

It happened the first time around. Why would the second time be any different?

"You do not believe the Republic or the Senate will provide the help the Queen requires," said Obi-wan while sensing the man's feelings on the Senate and Republic.

"No. But going to Coruscant is the only option before us at the moment," said Vader with both Jedi grimacing and the fake Queen looking a tad uncertain.

"If that is what must be done, we must make haste and be off," said the fake Queen after giving a brief glance to the real one in hiding and saw the nod of support.

"I saw a hangar nearby with a Nubian transport inside. Hopefully, it has not been taken over by battle droids," said Vader before he went to the hangar where the transport was waiting for them.

 _"Master. what do we do? We can't let this Sith stay near the Queen! What if he tries to gain her favor in making decisions? What will happen when we get to Coruscant with her?"_ said Obi-wan to his Master through the Force.

 _"I do not know Obi-wan. This is most unusual. However, I sense the Sith Lord in front of us is surprisingly...not our enemy,"_ said Qui-gon to Obi-wan.

 _"I have doubts Master. The way he fought us. His skills is incredible. He bested us like were both younglings!"_ exclaimed Obi-wan while Qui-gon grimace outward knowing that was true.

For Qui-gon, it was like sparing with his Master Dooku all over again. Even the defeat he suffered at Vader's hands felt the same.

 _"Keep your mind clear my young Padawan and focus on the mission. So long as the Sith is not the enemy of the Queen, we are not his enemy either. At least for the time being,"_ said Qui-gon knowing that so long as their interests were aligned, the Queen was safe from harm...for the moment.

"Jedi, your presence is required up front with me," said Vader while not mentioning the fact their mental communication was easy to sense, hear, and listen to the entire time.

No point in making their suspicions of him grow even further.

"Battle droids?" asked Captain Panaka while blaster at the ready.

"Quite a few. They are near the ship and are guarding a large group of prisoners. I would wager at least one of them is a pilot," said Vader from his position watching the inside of the hangar.

"Which we will need in order to get the transport off the ground," commented Qui-gon while seeing there was a large group of battle droids in the hanger.

"How do we handle this?" asked Obi-wan curiously while sensing some amusement from Vader on the issue.

"Leave that to me. Both of you provide support when the time comes. When the fighting starts, the Queen along with her security detail, and handmaidens will take cover. Those with blasters can provide support from a distance, but must time their shots when firing perfectly if they do," said Vader knowing a stray blaster bolt could have an unexpected result after being fired.

"You can't take on that many droids by yourself! Not before we come into the fray," said Obi-wan in protest, but shrunk back in fear when Vader looked at him.

"I find your lack of faith in my combat skills disturbing young Padawan. I would think you of all people would know better. Considering how I bested you and your Jedi Master a short while ago. Just follow my lead and perhaps you will learn something new," said Vader before opening the door further and slipped through to head toward the large group of battle droids.

And ignoring Obi-wan's glare.

"Come along Obi-wan. Into the breach," remarked Qui-gon while he moved next and Ob-wan following right behind him.

"Stay close your Highness. While I trust the two Jedi to protect you, I have reservations about their apparent rival," whispered Captain Panaka to Padme, who was the real Queen disguised as a simple handmaiden.

"I agree with you Captain, but only with some measure of reluctance. I can't explain it Captain, but I have the feeling this Darth Vader would never raise his weapon against me," whispered Padme with a hint of confusion in her voice.

Padme saw him glancing at her from time to time at the most discreet moments when talking to her double earlier. As if he _knew_ she was the real Queen. And every word spoken to her double was really spoken to Padme herself. Did this Sith know she was the Queen beforehand? Or did he use the Force as the Jedi did to learn this?

So many questions. So few answers.

"Halt! Where are you taking these prisoner?" said the droid commander after seeing Darth Vader approaching.

"I am taking them off planet using this transport," answered Vader firmly while he stood in before this battle droid commander.

"Who gave you this order?" questioned the battle droid commander.

"No one," answered Vader simply before glancing at the men on the ground and gave them a "be ready to move" look which they all saw.

"No one? That doesn't make any sense. Oh wait, you are under arrest!" said the battle droid commander before it found itself flying off to the side with Vader using the force to do it.

Within moments, the hangar quickly turned into a battlefield where the battle droids drew their weapons down on Vader. But the Sith Lord was upon them almost instantly, the red blade of his Lightsaber slicing through them with deadly precision. Every droid focused entirely on Vader, ignoring the two Jedi attacking their flank, cutting through them with skills of their own. By the time the battle droids could refocus on the Jedi, their numbers had been reduced almost entirely.

One droid shooting at Obi-wan had its blaster bolts being misdirected all over in various areas of the hangar. Seeing an opportunity out of the corner of his eye, the Jedi Padawan redirected several of the blaster bolts toward a fuel canister near Vader.

Which proceeded to explode near Vader just as the last battle droid had been vanquished by Qui-gon and gaining everyone's attention.

For Obi-wan, it was a sense of pride that he had vanquished such a powerful Sith using the fight as a means to defeat him. Qui-gon was not as pleased since the return of the Sith raised questions and now they would not get the answers the Jedi Order would no doubt wish to seek. For Padme, she was shocked that such a powerful figure would be killed in the explosion, and hoped the man's death was at least quick and painless. Captain Panaka winced knowing that if the explosion didn't kill the Sith, the intense fire that surrounded him would have in its place. While the good Captain did feel a reluctance to trust Vader, he did not wish the Sith Lord such a violent death, and hoped it had been at least quick in its end.

The Sith Lord did try to save the Queen after all.

Their various emotions were soon one of shock, awe, and a hint of fear when the fire from the explosion parted down the middle. The flame being snuffed out to the point where it was just small embers on the ground by a wave of power that washed over the hander.

And in the center of it...a very angry Darth Vader.

His body had not been burned by the fire nor were his robes or clothing. The man did not have a single sign of being burned or hurt by the explosion. But that wasn't what made the feeling of fear make itself known. It was his eyes. They were reddish yellow from the start when he first met them, but you could easily see there was a sense of control of the dark rage that existed within them. A discipline that took _years_ to master. That took _years_ to control.

Only now said control was almost lost and the those eyes now seemed to come to life with an even greater fire in them. A fire of hate. Of rage. And it was all aimed at Obi-wan Kenobi.

With loud powerful steps, Vader slowly walked toward a nervous, and very intimidated Jedi Padawan while his rage filled eyes never left the younger man.

"Lord Vader..." said Qui-gon, but was silence by Vader raise his left hand and signaling the man to be quiet.

"Do something like that again, and I assure you Jedi, you will not enjoy the outcome that follows," warned Vader in a deadly whisper that promised a great deal of pain would be aimed at the intended target.

"I won't. I promise," said Obi-wan nervously with Vader narrowed his eyes at him.

"I will hold you to that promise Jedi. The day you break it is the day you _die_!" said Vader with his eyes glowing with power and the intensity made the young Jedi believe the Sith would back up such a threat.

"I'm sure what happened was an accident Lord Vader. Please," said Qui-gon in the hopes the Sith Lord would listen to reason.

"Yes. I'm sure," said Vader before he glanced at Qui-gon before walking off to a section of the hangar where the battle droid commander of this now destroyed platoon had been thrown.

And found it deactivated, but mostly intact. Good. He had an idea and it required this particular battle droid be kept mostly whole for his plan to be put into action.

"Get everyone who can man the ship onboard. Hurry! The rest of you head out into the city and other areas to try forming some kind of resistance cells," said Captain Panaka knowing they could only take so many on a single ship with limited supplies.

"I will stay behind and deal with the Viceroy. He won't like the idea of losing the Queen, but having a Governor in her place might help appease him," said Sio Bibble knowing things were going to get rough for Naboo and its people real soon.

"The Viceroy knows the value of keeping high ranking hostages alive. At least until he gets what he wants," said Vader while dragging the battle droid commander with him.

"What are you planning to do with that?" asked Captain Panaka while glaring at the battle droid like it was a criminal.

"I'm going to use it against the Viceroy," said Vader while some of the group looked skeptical.

"How?" asked Captain Panaka curiously.

"Get me an astromech droid from that transport ship and I will show you," said Vader before he walked toward it knowing there was only one droid who could help him with this plan.

R2D2.

Making his way onto the Nubian ship, the Sith Lord went right to the storage room where the astromechs were kept. The room itself brought back memories of his young child like self when he left Tatooine for the first time. The coldness of space leaking into the ship and making him feel vulnerable. Helpless. Only for Padme to appear. Giving him a much needed blanket and he giving his future wife the necklace she wore until the end. He had seen the holo-vid of Padme's funeral. The Emperor made him watch it to make the once cyborg enhanced Sith drown himself in the dark side of the Force.

Even in death, his beloved wife was a Goddess of beauty and perfection deserving to be worshipped by the entire Galaxy.

"You still haven't revealed your plan for this droid," remarked Qui-gon from behind the Sith and breaking Vader away from the previous memories of the previous timeline.

He needed to focus! Focus on the now. Not what once was and yet could be if he was not careful.

"I need that astromech droid," said Vader while pointing to R2 and saw his old friend from another life become active before rolling over to him.

"You mentioned turning this battle droid against the Viceroy and ultimately the Trade Federation. Care to elaborate?" asked Qui-gon curiously since it was clear this Sith Lord knew his way around mechanical things and was no doubt very skilled at it.

"In time I will. R2, I need you to access this battle droids primary computer system, but keep it from activating," ordered Vader while R2 beeped an affirmative and began to connect itself to the downed battle droid's primary computer system.

It wasn't long before R2 informed them that it had gained complete access to the droid under the premise of doing a routine repair of its systems.

"Good. I need you to use the battle droid's rank as commander and its internal systems to access the current Trade Federation's network for the orbital battle station currently over the planet," ordered Vader while Qui-gon was surprised he could speak binary since there were few species that could.

"You speak binary?" asked Qui-gon while sensing the ship was now taking off now.

"I surrounded myself with droids as a child. It became a second language to me. One I could never speak, but could understand," said Vader while R2 beeped some more.

And told them the battle droid's command signal was incredibly weak. In fact, it was a miracle the signal from the orbital ship even reached the battle droids on Naboo. Vader was only slightly surprised by this since he knew the battle droids the Trade Federation produced were extremely cheap overall. Quantity over quality was there motto when it came to these models. The only reason the droids didn't deactivate was due to Naboo not having a strong planetary electromagnetic field most inhabited planets produce. Padme had told him about it once in passing about how her world was different compared to the others throughout the Galaxy.

A shaking of the ship made soon alerted them of another problem to this situation.

"Keep trying. Dig through the network. Download everything! We are leaving the planet and will be near the orbital station so the signal strength will be greater," said Vader before the ship was rocked again by laser fire and he left for the bridge.

"I think now would be a good time to reveal the next step in your overall plan to fight the Trade Federation as we are now Lord Vader," remarked Qui-gon with Vader being silent for the moment until he got to the front of the ship.

"Pilot, remove yourself from the chair. I will be taking over," ordered Vader while they were being fired upon by the Trade Federation.

"What? Now?! Are you crazy?!" questioned the pilot and the ship was hit again.

"Move now or I will throw you from that chair myself!" stated Vader before they were hit again and alarms went off.

"We took a major hit. Our shields are weakening. The shield generator is badly damaged and we have a leak in the fuel line. I'm sending some astromechs out to repair it," said another Nubian officer now looking at a consol.

"Move now!" exclaimed Vader, who had enough of being polite and grabbed the pilot before he yanked the man out of the chair in order to sit in it.

"What are you doing? You are flying toward them!" protested the now former pilot.

"That is the idea. I suggest you all brace yourself for the ride that is to come," said Vader while piloting the craft in his own way.

"Have you lost your mind?!" protested Captain Panaka while Vader didn't answer and kept on piloting the ship.

"Would this have anything to do with your plan for the battle droid and the R2 unit in the storage area of the ship?" asked Obi-wan while skeptical of Vader's plans yet amazed by the man's piloting skills.

"For my plan to work? Yes. We need to get closer," answered Vader at last while the station tried to fire on them.

"How close?" asked Captain Panaka with a hint of worry.

"Closer," answered Vader cryptically while he was flying incredibly low and near the Trade Federation's orbital station.

"How close is closer?" asked Obi-wan worriedly since at this range you could almost spit on one of the gun turrets.

"Closer," answered Vader while using acrobatic maneuvers extremely dangerous flying to dodge the blaster fire attempting to hit them.

"I think we're close enough!" protested Obi-wan since he could practically see the recoil of one of the turrets when it fired at them.

"R2, how is that signal strength using the battle droid commander?" asked Vader once he setup communication with the storage room.

A series of beeps and whistles soon followed.

"Good. Get as much information from the network as you can. We are about to enter light speed!" said Vader while the sensors soon turned green telling him the astromechs had in fact just made the repairs.

'He knew the astromechs would complete their task before it they finished it. This Sith has a certain measure of foresight not unlike Master Yoda,' thought Qui-gon knowing such a skill was powerful and only the most skilled Force sensitive individuals had it.

"I think we overstayed our welcome," commented Obi-wan with Vader nodding in full agreement and activated the jump to light speed once in the clear to make it.

"The hyper drive is badly damaged. It no doubt happened when we were taking fire at the time before I took control of the ship. We can stay in light speed for a time, but we will need to find a planet to make repairs," said Vader while running a scan of the ship to see the extent of the damage done to it.

"Easier said than done considering we are on the boarders of the Outer Rim and Mid Rim territories," commented Qui-gon knowing a safe port to land for repairs at this point was not an easy task.

"I think I found one Master. Its nearby. I think we can make it. According to the charts here, the planet is called Tatooine. A remote and out of the way desert covered planet," said Obi-wan while sensing Vader's mood drop at the mention of the planet.

"Is it safe to go there? What about the Trade Federation's influence on the planet?" asked Captain Panaka worriedly.

"Fortunately for us, the planet is not controlled by the Trade Federation. Nor does it have any influence there," commented Vader while already setting the course for the planet he loathed.

"Lord Vader is correct. Its controlled by the Hutts. Namely Jabba the Hutt. This planet is in Hutt space," said Qui-gon while Captain Panaka's face went pale.

"The Hutts are gangsters. If they find out the Queen of Naboo is at there front door, they will either kill her or sell her off to the Trade Federation for profit!" exclaimed Captain Panaka before giving Vader a dirty look for not mentioning that fact.

"But the Hutts aren't looking for her. Which gives _us_ the advantage. Besides, the Hutts won't do business with the Trade Federation since both sides loath each other and also consider the other rivals in the way of their more... _illegal_ activities," said Qui-gon calmly while glancing at Vader.

"Indeed. Besides, the damage to the ship is quite significant. If we do not stop at Tatooine for repairs, we will never make it to Coruscant for the Queen to plead her case before the Senate," added Vader while following the timeline to an extent on how things played out in the previous run of things.

"That was a dangerous game you just played with our lives Lord Vader! With the life of the Queen!" exclaimed Captain Panaka angrily after Vader slowly rose from the pilot seat and let the former pilot take over again.

"High risk equals high reward," answered Vader while not affected by the angry glare the man was sending his way.

He had faced off against harsher foes with meaner looks.

"And what was the 'high reward' you claimed was worth the risk of being blown to tiny pieces?" asked Obi-wan while Vader looked at him for a second before walking past him.

"If you must know, follow me," said Vader while ignoring the glares aimed his way by the Captain and Jedi Padawan.

Qui-gon at least had the decency to look somewhat curious over being upset.

They made their way to the storage area where the R2D2 unit Vader had ordered to work for him was waiting for them. Once it saw them, it beeped and whistled what it had found along with everything else it obtained when slicing into the network. Vader was smiling behind his mask after hearing more of what R2 had obtained and knew that while this would alter the timeline to an extent, it would definitely help provide a means to shut down any protests the trading business could muster in the Senate when Padme brought her case before them.

Padme had told him about it during his time protecting her on Naboo and how she had lost all patience with the Senators squabbling over how to handle the situation with her home planet. How her word wasn't good enough to move the Senators when she spoke to them and the "friends" of the Trade Federation had used their influence to make any move to make a decision slow to an agonizing crawl. It was only later after stepping down as Queen did Padme wish she had brought some measure of evidence with her to back the claim of invasion by the Viceroy.

Anakin Skywalker at the time agreed. When two sides say two different things about an important event, having undisputable proof to what happened was usually the ultimate tie breaker.

And as Darth Vader, he now had what was needed to do it.

"Make a copy of it and give the copy to me. Keep all of the original information in your memory banks. Make sure no one gives you a memory wipe," ordered Vader in a quiet whispering tone with the astromech droid beeping an affirmative before producing a data stick with a copy of the information for the Sith to take.

"What is that?" asked Qui-gon while seeing the item in Vader's hands.

" _This_ Master Jedi, is our ultimate weapon against the Trade Federation. One, the Queen can use when standing in front of the Senate," said Vader while pocketing the data stick in his belt pouch.

"And yet you are holding onto it," said Obi-wan while Vader glared at him.

"And who better to hold onto it until we reach Coruscant? You Jedi? The good Captain guarding the Queen? No. This stays with me. The only way someone gets this vital piece of information is over my dead body. And I assure you, I will not die easily," said Vader before looking past the Jedi to see one of the actual handmaidens of the Queen had made her appearance at the open door.

"The Queen wishes to speak to Lord Vader," said the handmaiden humbly while keeping her eyes down so not to look at the Sith Lord.

His eyes were truly terrifying to behold in her mind.

"As her Majesty commands," said Darth Vader before he walked toward the meeting room the handmaiden was instructed to lead him to with the two Jedi flanking the Sith.

Not doubt to prevent him from possibly assassinating or manipulating the Queen with his skills in the Dark Side of the Force. How cliché, not to mention predictable.

"I find myself once more in your debt Lord Vader. You have done a great service to us in not only getting this ship and its crew out of the clutches of the Trade Federation's grasp, but from what I have been told, evidence to prove the invasion happened," said the false Queen posing as Padme.

Captain Panaka had been outside of the storage room listening in on the conversation and relayed everything to her on the comlink. He had wanted to make sure that whatever Lord Vader was doing with the battle droid commander did not risk the Queen or anyone else onboard.

"You were informed correctly your Highness. Indeed, your Captain is a most competent officer to have in your staff. He is to be commended for his vigilance," said Vader since he had sensed the Captain spying on them, but saw no reason to call the man out when having the conversation with the Jedi about his plans.

"Would you be gracious enough to provide me with the evidence so I may bring it before the Senate when we eventually arrive to Coruscant?" asked the Queen, but was slightly surprised when Vader shook his head no.

"With all due respect your Majesty, I must refuse. The data stick in my possession is the only copy of the Trade Federation's illegal invasion. While I trust you to make sure such evidence is not taken from you or the hiding place you arrange for it, the agents of the Trade Federation are not what you call...polite when searching for said evidence," said Vader while everyone around him frowned.

"Are you saying the Trade Federation knows or possibly suspects such evidence exists in our hands?" asked Captain Panaka while Vader nodded.

"The intrusion was sudden. While I trust the R2 unit I commissioned to perform the task was discreet, we cannot risk being ignorant the Trade Federations security systems did not detect the unauthorized access. The battle droid used was a commander, which gives it better access to systems otherwise not allowed by its subordinates, but not many. The area where the R2 unit accessed through the battle droid commander is beyond the level this particular model is allowed to enter. The only reason we succeeded was the security system did not realize this until the files obtained were downloaded and a log of it was no doubt made. Once done, the system would initiate a red flag on the illegal access, and it would inform the Viceroy of such a breach. Once they determine what was taken, the panic will set in, and alerts will go to all agents in the Mid Rim and Core Worlds to do everything in their power to stop us," said Vader while worry could be felt by everyone in the room.

"You realize the Queen now has an even bigger target on her back," said Obi-wan while Vader did not look worried.

"Yes. But risk comes reward. The point is, if the Queen is attacked, they will be looking for the evidence on her person. Evidence which she does not have and I do. One way or another, this evidence will be brought before the Senate. I am merely ensuring that any attempts to find and destroy it will end in failure," said Vader while many glowered at him for plan.

What did they expect? He was a Sith. Sith relied on deception, misdirection, false trails, and lies wrapped around a sliver of truth in order to make the lies believable.

"At the possible cost of the Queen's life!" exclaimed Panaka while the urge to draw his blaster and shoot the Sith became more enticing by the minute.

"If the Queen is as idealistic and full of conviction from what I have been led to believe upon arriving on Naboo, she will not protest," countered Vader with the Captain giving him a dirty look, but the Sith ignored him for the woman pretending to be Padme.

He could see the subtle glances the fake and real Queen gave each other before Padme gave a discreet nod to go along with the plan. While it pained Vader to a point to use such manipulating tactics on his former wife, who as of now was yet to be his wife, if not the wife of Anakin Skywalker, it was had to be done. This would only help temper and hone the iron will of his angel when she became a Senator in the years to come following this event. She was idealistic, no question. But naive in some things. She needed to be ready for the darkness that was to come. Not only in the Senate, but in the manipulations Vader was sure Sidious would unleash on her during this crisis, and those in the future when the old man became Supreme Chancellor.

"I will trust your judgment on this matter Lord Vader. Your plan has already produced much for us during this time of crisis and as you said, with risk comes reward. However, since you have knowingly placed an even larger target on my back, I wish you nearby to help keep any such agents of the Trade Federation from ending my life," said the fake Queen while Vader nodded and sensed the two Jedi were not comfortable with the Sith Lord being put in a position close to the Queen.

'No matter what the outcome, the Sith Lord seems to gain some kind of advantage in the end. It is as if no matter what happens, he always wins,' thought Obi-wan before glancing at his Master, who also seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"If it pleases you your Highness, we have an update on our current destination before we reach Coruscant," said Qui-gon while the fake Queen nodded.

"Proceed Master Jedi," answered the fake Queen.

"Given the damage done to the ship during our escape from Naboo, we had made a stop along a nearby system. We have made for the planet known as Tatooine. From what we have been able to piece together, it is a place controlled by the Hutts, and is a place where certain people go when they do not wished to be found," explained Qui-gon simply while Captain Panaka glared at him.

"The Jedi means criminals your Highness. Pirates. Raiders. Thieves. Thugs. All manner of scum the Galaxy has to offer," added Captain bitterly.

"The Captain is unfortunately correct. The planet has all those things and no doubt more if we are to assume the worst. However, it is also a place where people who need things in a discreet manner can get them...discreetly," said Qui-gon since Outer Rim worlds tended to have the rarest of items from moments in time before even the last Jedi/Sith War.

"The Jedi speaks to the truth your Majesty. While I have not been on this planet in many years, Tatooine itself clearly has not changed its status quo," said Vader to the surprise of everyone here.

"You have been here in the past? Why didn't you mention this before?" asked Obi-wan while Vader turned slightly to stare at him.

"As I said, the last time I was here was many years ago. And when I was here, it was not what you would consider a...pleasant moment in time," said Vader while the echo of his Mother's death flashed in his mind for a moment before he crushed into powder.

It wouldn't happen a second time. He wouldn't allow it! He would not allow the woman who brought him into the world to die beaten, bloody, and broken like a damn animal! Whether he was Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker, it didn't matter when it came to his Mother. She was his Mother. That was enough of a reason in his mind.

The sudden spike in the Dark Side rising when he recalled the memory in his mind made the Jedi tense noticeably around him, but ignored their looks of concern. What mattered was the now. Not the future. Not when he had nearly 10 years to prepare for that moment when it would happen.

IF he let it happen. Vader still contemplated on whether he should find a way to free his Mother in this timeline. Something his past self as Anakin Skywalker and the Jedi Order as a whole failed to do. Qui-gon might have helped him with his mission, had the Jedi Master not died at the hands of Darth Maul on Naboo, and taken him as an apprentice. The Jedi Master had been very understanding of Anakin, his worries, concerns, and had believed in the young boy when no other Jedi would in his place. Still, Vader could not take that risk in relying on the Jedi Master to comeback here in the future. Especially since Vader was changing so much of the past right now with his presence and his own intervention at various points in time.

But IF he freed Shimi Skywalker from slavery, where would she go? What would she do? The Jedi wouldn't take her to Coruscant. Not with her son going with them to one day be a Jedi. The damn attachment rule banning any contact with parents and children long after they became adults out of fear some measure of attachment would form. All done to prevent said children from bonding with their parents and resulting their loyalty to the Order being questioned. Bah! An outdated rule if there ever was one. No doubt made by one of those asexual reproducing species or produce but don't care about the offspring type races that at one point during had majority control on the Jedi Council. Possibly done during the Ruusan Formation when the Senate took power back from the Supreme Chancellor and demanded the Army of Light be disbanded.

To think the Jedi would unknowingly slit their own throat and wrists in a figurative sense when agreeing to such a demand and that it would take 1,000 years for the Sith Order in hiding to take advantage of it. Vader wouldn't be surprised if the Sith during the 1,000 years had infiltrated the Senate and secretly assisted in putting pressure in various places to increase the "bleeding effect" from the act.

But even still, how would the outcome of him freeing Shimi Skywalker now effect the future of his now child self in the form of Anakin Skywalker? She damn well couldn't stay on this planet. Free or not, the Sand People might still find her, and do what they did prior to find the woman in such a horrifying state. No! He would take her with them. The Jedi could complain all they wanted afterwards, but Vader would not leave his Mother, Anakin Skywalker's Mother to die. Not here. Not on this planet. Not on this dust ball of a world where Jabba the Hutt ruled with an iron fist and all live and died by his hands for his grotesque amusement.

At least until Jabba's death. From what Vader's spies reported, his children had a hand in that little campaign, and even killed the slimy creature's pet rancor.

It was another thing Vader would have to speed up in the distant future.

"Do you by chance know any place on the planet where we can procure the necessary parts to repair, if not replace the hyperdrive?" asked Qui-gon while Vader was quiet for a moment.

"I will need to see the hyperdrive system and model. Depending on what we have to work with will depend on if the shop you go to will have the parts that are needed," said Vader though he already knew his old slaver Master Watto would have the parts.

"Very well. Please use any and available resources to help determine the severity of our situation Lord Vader. I am counting on you to continue succeeding in this endeavor," said the fake Queen with Vader smirking behind his mask.

"If there is one thing I am good at your Majesty, it is succeeding where others would no doubt fail," said Vader before bowing and leaving the room for the two Jedi to continue their own discussions with the Queen.

"With all due respect your Majesty, it would be wise to keep Darth Vader at arms length while we travel to Coruscant," advised Qui-gon while the fake Queen and the real one beside her did not look convinced.

"You make it sound as if Lord Vader has a hidden agenda," surmised the fake Queen while Qui-gon nodded.

"Sith usually do. In our history with the Sith before we defeated them 1,000 years ago, they would always plot and plan against their enemies. You would face them one way in battle, but possibly be blindsided in another manner. The Sith were well known for their cunning and devious ways," warned Qui-gon while remembering his own studies about the Jedi's history prior to the Ruusan Formation.

"That was 1,000 years ago Master Jedi. Perhaps the Sith have changed their ways since the Jedi Order last encountered one," offered the fake Queen with Qui-gon shaking his head no.

"People, society, or cultures don't change that easily your Majesty. Not even after 1,000 years," warned Qui-gon while he glanced back where Vader had walked.

"It is said the Sith were wiped out by the Jedi in the last war during that time. Maybe they did in order to survive total annihilation. Surely people, societies, and even civilizations change when presented with such a situation?" countered the fake Queen with Qui-gon reluctantly nodding.

"Perhaps your Majesty, but when it comes to a Sith...change is not a good thing. Not for the Galaxy," said Qui-gon with his tone warning them that a Sith who has changed could be even more dangerous compared to the Sith of old.

(With Vader-At the Moment)

Darth Vader has gone to the main engine room to examine the hyperdrive engine like he told the fake Queen he would. But only to give it a brief once over to confirm that the parts they needed could only be found at Watto's junk shop and not at one of his "rivals". When confident the parts found could only be found with the flying blue waste of space for a gambling addict, the Sith Lord went to find a quiet space to mediate. He had not done it since coming to this new timeline and would need to get a "feel for things" in the Galaxy after actions on Naboo that basically told everyone who could feel the Force of his sudden arrival.

Along the way, he had walked by the storage room where Jar Jar Binks had decided to take up residents after waiting for it to be vacant of everyone, sans the astromech droids. The battle droid commander was locked away with its legs and arms removed so if it did come online, all it could do was talk. The Gungan was clearly cold, not use to such lack of it in space, and was not doubt waiting to arrive on planet to feel warmer.

If only the foolish creature knew how "warm" Tatooine would become when the ship had landed and ramp went done. No matter, he would find out soon enough.

Ignoring the shivering Gungan, the Sith Lord went to another storage area to find solace in his mediation, and soon found it. As he found himself embracing the Force, he found it was going into a moment of...chaos? That seemed to be the best definition right now with how the Galaxy was reacting to his loud entrance into the arena/stage at this moment in time. Every Force sensitive was currently having some measure of a panic attack from what he could sense of them. So many Force sensitives, some brighter then others in the Galaxy, not unlike the Stars themselves. To think he never noticed them like this before today. Possibly because he had spent so much time focusing on killing them and letting the Dark Side run rampant through his body to cope with the fact what was left of it at the time was burned all over.

At the moment, Vader sensed the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers Dathomir were using their skills of peeking out into the Galaxy to see him. They were clearly in awe and fear of him for different reasons since they had never felt such a strong presence in the Force until now. The Jedi who were scattered throughout the Galaxy at different posts or on Coruscant were practically terrified. They had never felt such a concentration of the Dark Side of the Force surrounding a single living person. Vader could only imagine how the insufferable green dwarf Yoda felt right now after witnessing his power.

Vader hoped it made the old Jedi tremble in fear. The old dwarf needed to be reminded that there were still some things in the Galaxy still worth fearing for a Jedi no matter how old they are in life.

Speaking of old people, Vader sensed his old Master was watching him intently from his position on Coruscant. The older man was not pleased with the power and mastery the younger man had shown. Not only that, but Vader suspected Sidious was also displeased over the fact the younger Sith had revealed himself to the Galaxy, and announced the Sith had returned ahead of schedule. Vader knew from his own experience with Sidious that the man hated anyone with more power than himself.

Feeling a tad malicious right now, Vader used his own tendrils in the Dark Side struck at one Sidious had been preparing to use to secretly dig through his mind. The Sith Lord smirked in satisfaction in feeling his former Master recoil back from the sudden strike like he had just been bitten by a Tovarian Shadow Viper. While Sidious was a Master manipulator and a Master in his own right on using the Dark Side as he did, Vader had learned much during his time with him in the future. While certainly not everything in the time spent as Master and Apprentice, Vader currently had more power, and the years of experience gained from the original timeline to keep himself ahead of the curve against the man.

Nearby at another location covered in what could only be called a "Dark Side fog", Vader sensed Darth Maul was also staring at him. Unlike his so called Master, the Zabrak could not or rather most likely _would not_ mask his presence. Why Sidious tolerated this, Vader could only assume, and did assume the sadistic man did not consider Maul to possess any real value. He was a rabid animal. One leashed and tethered to the Dark Side with Sidious holding it and waiting for the moment to let the leash go so his obedient animal could kill Jedi left and right until they finally kill Maul without realizing they should have kept the fool alive for interrogation.

Still, Darth Maul was going to be small obstacle, if not annoyance soon enough. Sidious would no doubt summon Maul and command his animal to hunt down the Queen like he did in the original timeline. Vader also knew that Sidious would try to boost Maul's ego in regards to his skills in fighting and would best the Jedi guarding her at his current level when unleashed.

From Vader's own fight with the Jedi on Naboo, he reluctantly agreed. Oh both Jedi were skilled with their Lightsabers. A perfect combination of youth and experience between the two when teaming up. But Maul had a double-bladed Lightsaber and was quite skilled with it from the various locations Sidious sent his animal to train where such potential was nurtured. Had Maul fought the Jedi of old, he would have lost outright. No question. But the Jedi of today dealt with petty skirmishes. Disputes. Minor battles or even wars that were contained to a single planet.

The last time the Jedi fought in a major war was 1,000 years ago.

It was no wonder Maul was able to best Qui-gon one on one. The man had let his skills go lax over the years, age not withstanding, and adding the factor of Maul being a Zabrak didn't help either. The species were known to have plenty of stamina due to the multiple copies of the organs humans only had one of in their bodies. It made sense to Vader that Maul would be able to overpower the elderly Jedi when the time came to fight him one on one.

Not that Vader would give him a chance this time around.

But how would Sidious justify Vader's presence? The man could not exactly use his ever so skilled silver tongue to explain how another Sith Lord was in existences so suddenly. The Rule of Two had been in place since Darth Bane created it and Sidious no doubt had explained said Rule of Two in great detail to his so called Apprentice during their time together. With another Sith taking the stage, it could confuse Maul, question his Master's words, and wonder what else Sidious had been wrong about. Something Vader intended to poke and prod until he made sure everything Maul knew or believed was a lie.

'Not to mention one final piece of business surrounding the Sith currently hiding within the shadows behind Sidious. Which only breaks the Rule of Two even further,' thought Vader while he sensed the dark presence of another Sith watching him with amusement and even a sense of...joy?

Focusing on _that_ particular Sith also residing on Coruscant, Vader's mind soon projected an image to this mysterious figure who was the source of this signature. A Muun. An old one from what he sensed of the body. Tired too from the lack of sleep if he were to guess correctly, but it was no less powerful in the Force. If anything, this Muun was stronger then even Sidious was right now.

Meaning this was in fact Sidious's Sith Master and there was only one Sith the man ever talked about during their time together.

It was Darth Plagueis the Wise!

(A/N: YAY! A super long chapter to a new story in order to keep you satisfied. I have had this in my head for awhile now since I read the fic Darth Vader: Hero of Naboo. I wanted to make my own version where Vader is back in time, but not in his usual cyborg suit wearing form. I wanted it where Vader was essentially in his physical prime. Full strength in the Force. And using all the knowledge and experience fro his time alive to take the fight to Sidious. Until next time...PEACE!)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2-Aggressive Moves Part 1

(Coruscant-Jedi Temple)

The Jedi Temple was a sight to behold on Coruscant. A beacon of light to many on the planet and a place where the Jedi Order called their home. It was a symbol of justice to those who knew the Jedi and loved to bask in its presence. The temple structure's pillars were designed to harness the very Light Side of the Force to bask the Jedi in its power. To focus their minds, to understand the Force better, and to better understand the Galaxy as a whole. A place of light, wisdom, and understanding of the Galaxy was centered here with the Jedi staring into the cosmos through their own "gateway" few could even begin to understand.

Only now, the Jedi Temple, and the Jedi within did not feel centered in their own domain due to what had recently transpired throughout the Force.

"How? How can someone have such power over the Dark Side? To think the Sith would return in our time and wield such...evil!" exclaimed Jedi Master Yarael Poof while his fellow Jedi Masters sat around him also looking concerned.

"It should not be possible. The Sith have extinct for a millennia. Since the last Jedi/Sith War," said Ki-Adi-Mundi since the Sith had not been seen, felt, or heard from during that time.

At most, the Jedi dealt with grayish aspect of the order. Namely Dark Jedi or Jedi who went rogue to pursue different aspects of the Force. Nothing of the Dark Side per se, but still enough to warrant these rogues be stopped.

But this? A Sith! In their time no less.

"Hard to see the Dark Side is," countered Yoda, who was the oldest member there, and knew from his own experience that nothing ever truly dies.

It changes. Transforms. Becomes something new.

"Where was this dark presence felt?" asked Mace Windu while looking over at Plo Koon.

"The one place we don't want him to be right now. Naboo," answered Plo Koon while the Jedi in the room looked even more uneasy.

"Naboo? Isn't that where Master Qui-gon Jinn and his Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi went to deal with the Trade Federation?" said Eeth Koth with many nodding gravely at his words due to them being true and what it meant.

Two of their own were in considerable danger at the moment. Even worse, but the Queen of Naboo they were assigned to help was also in danger.

"Couldn't we assemble a team of Jedi to deal with this Sith?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi since they had done it before with Dark Jedi and those who left the Order to pursue their own understanding of the Force in...questionable manners.

"If they were all on Naboo, I would say yes. But at the moment, I sense our comrades are not on Naboo at all. And neither is the Sith. If what I am sensing is in fact correct...the Sith is traveling with Master Qui-gon and Padawan Kenobi," said Plo Koon with the Jedi Masters in the room looking even more worried.

"Traveling willingly? Or perhaps some kind of hostage situation by the Sith to keep us from sending a team after him?" questioned Mace with Plo Koon shaking his head.

"I don't know. This presence that came out of nowhere is unlike anything I have ever felt before now. It is like staring at a supernova, only for it to be covered in an eclipse like darkness. It blankets planets and stars in its wake. Covering everything like a blanket and making things almost impossible to see," said Plo Koon before turning to Master Yoda for guidance.

"The Veil of the Dark Side this is. A ripple of the cloth we are feeling. Long has it been slowly spreading throughout the Galaxy it has," said Master Yoda while others frowned in confusion.

"If Veil of the Dark Side has been spreading slowly through the Galaxy all this time, who is causing it to spread? This Sith isn't the source. The action to be used in blinding us in the Force with it was done too soon," said Jedi Master Yarael Poof since the use of such a Veil done ages ago back when the Sith were large mass and meant to blind the Jedi from seeing future events during the wars the two sides fought in.

No one knew how the Veil of the Dark Side was created or which Sith of the old Order was responsible for its creation. The various wars the two Orders fought against each other caused the records and knowledge about the Veil of the Dark Side to become little more then a story. A myth. Something spoken by the Jedi, but never taken seriously in the last 1,000 years since the Sith were believed to be extinct, and the knowledge of the Veil being lost long before the last Jedi/Sith War.

Or so they thought.

"There is one theory. One, we have not considered until now," said Ki-Adi-Mundi while he looked hesitant to suggest the idea.

"And what is that Master Mundi?" asked Mace curiously, but was also dreading the answer.

"What if the Sith never were extinct like we originally thought. What if the Sith have lived in the shadows for the last 1,000 years. Plotting and planning against us. Against the Republic. Slowly finding ancient Sith knowledge and creating the Veil of the Dark Side to mask their presence from us," said Ki-Adi-Mundi hesitantly and it made everyone go on edge.

"Always two there are. A Master and an Apprentice. No more. No less," said Yoda knowing that if the Sith did survive the last war, it would have to be at least two.

"And if this has been going on for 1,000 years, the Veil itself must be made by both during the cycle they go through with one surpassing the other. Which is why we have not sensed or felt it until now. The only way for the Veil to be revealed is if someone of the Dark Side chooses to do it. Hence our recently revealed Sith," Eeth Koth while the others nodded in agreement.

"It would also explain why the Veil took so long to create. It was said in what few texts we have in our library, the Veil of the Dark Side could be made in a few standard months with an army of powerful Sith Lords during the days when their numbers were vast. If it was just one or two Sith in existence since the last Jedi/Sith War, the Veil would take a long time to create, much less maintain in secret for just as long," said Plo Koon while the other Jedi Master nodded in agreement.

"But why did this Sith reveal it now? Or at least a large part of it? Surely this Sith sensed the Veil of the Dark Side was not ready to be used against us," said Ki-Adi-Mundi with his mind unable to process why one Sith Lord would ruin another's work in blinding their shared enemy.

"Rivals perhaps? Or maybe the Apprentice is betraying the Master? After a failed attempt at succession maybe?" asked Eeth Koth curiously.

"And jeopardize 1,000 years of planning? No Sith is that is foolish," said Mace Windu since he did not believe such an act would be done between Master and Apprentice.

It would have to be an _extremely_ spiteful Sith Apprentice to do that to his or her Master.

"Perhaps, but the question remaining is what do we do about the one Sith known to us? Should we focus on him? Or a possible Sith Lord hiding in the Galaxy that may or may not exist?" asked Ki-Adi-Mundi before looking at Yoda for guidance.

"One Sith revealed he has done. Another in hiding believe I do. The Veil of the Dark Side ripples through the Galaxy. Woven together from 1,000 years it was. Past down from one Sith to another. But now no longer are there two Sith in the Galaxy. But at least three now there are," said Yoda with the Jedi Council around him looking more alarmed.

"A Sith Triumvirate," whispered Eeth Koth knowing one had not been around since the time following Darth Revan's sudden disappearance from the Galaxy.

"No. A Sith Triumvirate implies that all three Sith Lords are working together in order to properly complete a single goal. We have one Sith Lord out there disrupting the plans of one if not two other Sith Lords," countered Mace while the others nodded.

"It is a Sith civil war," concluded Ki-Adi-Mundi with many agreeing with him on what it was they were witnessing through the Force.

"The question is how do we handle this?" asked Yarael Poof since no one had fought or encountered a Sith for an entire millennia so there was no telling what might happen in this scenario.

"Let this unfold we must. The Sith we see will attempt to reveal the one or two Sith we do not. Watch the one causing the Veil of the Dark Side to ripple further. Allow us to see what has blinded us for long it will," said Yoda while the others nodded, but some did not like hearing it.

They were basically asked to do nothing no one in the Council room liked it.

(The Works-Night)

Sidious loved power. He loved the trappings, the trimmings, and the overall position of power granted to those strong enough to sit on the throne it represented. He loved to wield it like a toy for amusement as well as a weapon against his enemies. He loved to see others fail in their quest to master it while gloating at how weak people were in their feeble attempts to reach his level. He had killed, assassinated, plotted, and planned for years to get to the high position of Senator of Naboo. A position of power he found was second only to the actual position of Supreme Chancellor that Sidious was aiming to take from the man currently sitting in the seat right now. In addition, the Sith Lord was also the Vice Chancellor, but it was a position designed to temporarily fill in for the Supreme Chancellor should the individual was unable to perform his or her duties.

A useless position of so called power.

At the same time, Sidious hated those with power. He hated those who were at his level in the political arena. He hated the Jedi. He hated them with all his being. He hated those in the Republic who thought themselves his better. It didn't matter if they were Senators, the Supreme Chancellor, or some other fool thinking they could out muscle him in some manner. He even hated his own Master for being said Master while Sidious himself was still the Apprentice in their relationship.

Sidious wanted to become the Master. No! He wanted to become _THE_ Master. To be the Master of all the Galaxy. To be Master over other Sith that would try to come after him.

To even be the Master of the Force itself.

And so far, he had been well underway in fulfilling all his goals. All he had to do now was kill Plagueis, become Supreme Chancellor, and orchestrate the war needed to bring down the Jedi Order. Once all three were done, Sidious would quickly use the horrifying aftermath to demonize the Jedi, turn the entire Galaxy against them, and while that was happened the Sith would turn the Republic into a Galactic (secretly Sith) Empire. He would rule with a cruel iron fist and all would bow to him. Those who did not bow would be killed. Should they become martyrs to some cause, he would kill all those who rallied behind them, and continue to kill everything in the Galaxy that threatened his rule as Emperor.

Even if he had to destroy the entire Galaxy to do it. He would rather be an Emperor of a dead Galaxy over not being Emperor at all.

'Only now I have a problem in the form of another Sith Lord,' thought Sidious while he walked toward his meeting place where Darth Maul was awaiting him.

"It is time Master?" asked Maul curiously with Sidious nodding.

"Yes my Apprentice. I sense the Queen has arrived on a planet called Tatooine in the Outer Rim. You are to go there at once and bring her back to Naboo to sign the treaty," order Sidious with Maul nodding.

"At once my Master," said Maul while eager to set out on his mission.

"Move against the Jedi first. After you have finished them, kill the Queen's entourage from security to her handmaidens. And do it in front of her. Make sure she realized just how hopeless her resistance truly is when facing our pawns within the Trade Federation. Once you do, she will not resist. She is not as strong as she makes herself out to be in front of others," said Sidious while Maul nodded again with an eagerness to hunt and kill the Jedi guarding the Queen.

"At last we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi. At last we will have our revenge," whispered Maul with his hunger for battle clear in his words.

"You have been well trained Darth Maul. You will not fail me," said Sidious confidently, but sensed Maul was uneasy for a moment.

"What of this other Sith? This traitor? How do we handle him?" asked Maul curiously while Sidious frowned underneath his hood.

It wasn't an unreasonable question. When Sidious went to see Maul following this Sith making itself known, the Sith Lord had lied to so called Apprentice. Calling the one out in the Galaxy a traitor, a heretic, to the Sith Order, and the Rule of Two set forth by Darth Bane 1,000 years ago. How it was their duty as the true Sith of the Galaxy to crush this pretender before he can possibly have his own Apprentice or Apprentices to cause further problems which threatened the Grand Plan.

But the question was how to deal with him? The Force had been silent on the issue. It had not yielded to his call when searching for answers to how this Sith had kept himself from his sight or how to combat him. In fact, the Dark Side of the Force was aiding this heretic in his quest, whatever it may be, and threaten the Grand Plan. Sidious suspected it was the Force using its Will fighting back against him and Plagueis for trying to influence the Force by saturating the midi-chlorians with the Dark Side. It had been fighting them for years ever since the two Sith had made the attempt to corrupt the Force with their power.

And now this.

"This so called Sith will not be expecting you. Even with all his power over the Dark Side, he is nothing when compared to you my Apprentice. He lacks your skill and the aggression a Sith is known to possess. Use all your skills against him and he should fall," replied Sidious calmly, but inside he was not so confident in Maul's skills to defeat this heretic.

Still, Maul's usefulness was coming to an end. He was meant to reveal the Sith had not only returned, but would kill every Jedi that stood in their way. In addition, Plagueis had made it clear Maul was not a true Sith Apprentice. Merely a blunt instrument to give the Jedi Order a noticeable bloody nose by killing one or more Jedi by his hands before being thrown away to die in the fighting.

That final part was almost upon them.

"Yes Master," said Maul obediently knowing is Master was never wrong and left to head out to carry out his assignment.

'Foolish creature. You will either die at the hands of this heretic or survive long enough to report back to me his level of skill. Either way, I will benefit from the confrontation that is to come,' thought Sidious while watching his pet animal leave.

In the distance hidden in the shadows, Darth Plagueis watched the two converse with a frown on his face.

(Tatooine-At the Moment)

Tatooine was everything Vader remembered it to be when growing up as a boy when he was Anakin Skywalker and a slave to Watto. The twin suns, the intense heat, sand that got everywhere, and took everything from you when it was feeling merciless. He could sense all the life on this planet and wanted to rip it in half with the Force just to watching said life on this planet fall into darkness of space.

How he hated this planet.

"It is so barren. So...lifeless!" stated Obi-wan when he walked out to further inspect their surroundings and saw nothing but desert.

"Here in this particular spot, yes. Fortunately, there are settlements in various directions from our current position. You wish to head in this direction and for Mos Espa. They will have the parts we need," said Vader while pointing in the direction where the Jedi would need to go.

"Obi-wan will be staying here to guard the Queen from any possible attacks by agents of the Trade Federation. I will be heading out to get the parts we need for the ships," said Qui-gon knowing it was best to keep his Apprentice here to watch the Queen and protect her from the influence of the Sith Lord in front of them.

"As you wish. When you arrive at Mos Espa, ask for the Toydarian named Watto. He is a junk dealer by trade, but is known for having the necessary, and rare parts people require for their various yet discreet... _needs_ ," said Vader while heading back into the Nubian ship and walking past Captain Panaka and a now less handmaiden looking Padme.

All Vader could do now was play the waiting game...for now.

"Charming, isn't he?" asked Obi-wan sarcastically while Qui-gon smirked.

"Charming or not, he has helped in our mission beyond anything we ourselves could have done. Still, keep an eye on him Obi-wan. There is something about him that the Force is not telling us. Something that it doesn't want to tell us just yet," said Qui-gon while Obi-wan nodded knowing Darth Vader was a man of many secrets.

Secrets they would need to learn if the Queen was to be protected by their enemies.

"Don't worry Master. I will keep an eye on him until you get back. The sooner we get to Coruscant the better," said Obi-wan while hoping the Jedi Council was planning to do something about Darth Vader when they arrived.

Walking back into the ship, he barely heard his Master talking with the Captain, and the Queen's handmaiden about the latter joining the Jedi Master on this quest. Jar Jar was also tagging along, but only because the people on the ship were finding him annoying, and he was clearly fearful of the "bomb bad" Sith Lord. Not that Obi-wan could blame him for the last part since Vader was an intimidating figure to be sure.

Obi-wan just hoped the Vader didn't decide to take liberties while using his intimidating figure on the rest of the crew.

(Mos Espa-With Qui-gon, Jar Jar, and Padme)

"What do you make of Lord Vader?" asked Padme while they walked through Mos Espa and looked for anything that would reveal their intended destination.

"He's a Sith Lord young handmaiden. Without question from what I sensed through the Force. Sith Lords were and are considered the enemy of the Jedi. They have been our enemy from a time before the Republic was even born," said Qui-gon simply.

"I meant aside from that fact," said Padme knowing Vader was a Sith Lord, but that was about it.

"He's clearly a warrior. Or trained to be one. Has seen his fair share of battles. Maybe even a war on some distant planet in the Outer Rim or the Unknown Regions we do not know about. His skills with a Lightsaber are impressive. No doubt brought to such a high level from extensive training and battles where fighting has pushed him to the extreme on a physical level," said Qui-gon while Padme nodded since she saw the way he walked was that of a seasoned commander.

"He uses the Force like you, but not like you. In what way?" asked Padme curiously while Qui-gon sighed.

"He draws his strength from the Dark Side of the Force. Anger, hatred, pain, and all the negative emotions one feels in life are felt through the Force. Darth Vader has channeled this on a level we have never felt before now," said Qui-gon with worry lingering in his voice.

"You have fought Sith before today?" asked Padme with Qui-gon shaking his head no.

"No. At most, the Jedi Order have faced Dark Jedi. Jedi who left the Order to experiment with the Dark Side, but never became Sith. Whether because they lacked the fortitude to make the transition or we stopped them before it could happen is unknown," said Qui-gon with Padme frowning at this.

"His Lightsaber is red. Yours is green and Obi-wan Kenobi's is blue. Do the blade colors mean something?" asked Padme while she saw the Jedi Master looking around before he spotted something in the distance.

"It did at one point. At least for the Jedi Order. But for the Sith? No. A Lightsaber with a red blade was always their color. It signifies their connection to rage. To their hate. Their anger," said Qui-gon while walking toward what looked like a junk shop.

"Something must have happened to him to feel such things. Did you ever wonder what they might be?" asked Padme with Qui-gon grimaced at her line of questioning.

"Most of the time it is their lust for power. To dominate and hurt others. Rarely is it due to feeling emotional pain and turning to the Dark Side because of it," said Qui-gon with Padme looking sad.

"Do you think he turned because of his lust for power or because of emotional pain?" asked Padme worriedly since she didn't know which was worse.

"I don't know. Only Vader can tell you. If he wishes to tell you at all and provided what is said isn't a lie. We're here," said Qui-gon while walking into the shop to broker a possible deal with the owner.

(With Vader-Several Nights Later)

Vader was standing outside of the ship. The wind howling about him, billowing his cape this way and that when the wind wished it. The usually hot temperatures had dropped to freezing levels, but the Sith Lord did not mind it. He didn't feel the cold temperatures of the planet when at night just like he didn't feel the intense heat during the day. One of the many things Vader taught himself was to block out such weaknesses using the Force so he could focus on the enemy before him.

Not the climate or weather patterns of the planet he was on.

"How long as he been standing out there?" asked Obi-wan while Captain Panaka was at the top of the ramp watching the Sith Lord.

"Hours. Since the twin Suns set actually. How can someone endure this level of cold during the night? Or the intense heat during the day?" asked Captain Panaka while Obi-wan assisted in the "Sith Lord watching" as it was known to be called on the ship.

"He's clearly had training for it. He's been here before and no doubt been on other desert worlds to face similar challenges," said Obi-wan while staring in one direction and had like Vader, he felt the presence of another Dark Side user.

But kept silent on the issue in order to keep the Queen and her people from worrying about possible threats that were on the other side of the planet.

"What do you think he is staring at?" asked Captain Panaka curiously.

"When one stares into the Force, they see many things. Planets. People. Things far and wide beyond the understanding of those who cannot see as we do," answered Obi-wan with Captain Panaka showing frustration now along with his curiosity.

Not surprising. It was like trying to explain colors to a person who was blind since birth and had never seen colors.

"What do you think he is staring at through the Force? As a Jedi, can you see what he sees?" asked Captain Panaka while Obi-wan sighed and decided to tell a little white lie.

"I could, if he let me. But we aren't what you would call friends. If Lord Vader wishes to keep what he is staring at to himself, it is his choice, and any attempt to invade his private time watching something could be disastrous for my health," explained Obi-wan with his lie allowing him to keep the fact he already knew what it was that Vader was staring at through the desert night.

"I don't like it. It makes me uneasy," said Captain Panaka while letting the Jedi continue the rest of the "Sith watching" alone.

"You and me both," mumbled Obi-wan before walking down the ramp to approach the Sith Lord and secretly wondered if he could kill the Sith Lord by stabbing him literally in the back with a Lightsaber.

"Your thoughts betray you Jedi. Your attempt would fail and your life would be forfeit," said Vader casually as if the thought of being kill from behind was nothing new to him.

"Good to know," said Obi-wan while standing beside the Sith Lord and wrapping his robes tightly over his body to keep warm.

"I take it you see what I do?" asked Vader while Obi-wan nodded.

"It is difficult _NOT_ to see him. He's not exactly hiding his presence," remarked Obi-wan while Vader gave his own nod.

"Agreed. I suspect his Master never trained him to hide it," said Vader and wondered if Maul ever considered learning it or did this deliberate so he could take on anyone willing to challenge his skills.

There was a seemingly long silence for the two of them.

"Are you going to fight him?" asked Obi-wan finally with Vader being silent for a brief moment.

"I could. But the Queen made it clear I was to stay near her or at the very least, near the ship to protect the crew from harm," said Vader while Obi-wan grimacing.

"If he comes here, the risk to the Queen increases," warned Obi-wan with Vader smirked at the ploy.

"And if I leave and your Master comes back with the parts, _you_ will leave me here until a Jedi task force is assembled to come to this planet. Where the Jedi assigned to the task will ultimately hunt me down. Either to kill or bring me back in chains for interrogation to find out what I know," countered Vader and sensed the Jedi's nervous feelings on the issue.

"Well...to be fair you are a Sith Lord," said Obi-wan like it was a natural defense for such an action to be taken.

"And you are a Jedi. If it were not for the simple fact the Queen's life depends on the two of us working together on this mission, I would take your head," said Vader while Obi-wan stiffened at his words.

"Speaking of this mission, how long are you going to be protecting the Queen? After this issue is resolved, her Majesty will not require your services," said Obi-wan while Vader turned to glance at him.

"I will protect the Queen for as long as she deems fit to employ my services. As for no longer needing my services when this is over...that will remain to be seen," remarked Vader since he knew what Obi-wan was referring to regarding the end of the mission.

The Jedi wouldn't move against him (for the most part) so long as the Queen had him as her bodyguard/protector/guardian of her person. Which was fine since he had no problem protecting the woman he loved nor her loyal double stand in currently on the ship. When the mission was over, Jedi Council would dispatch their most power Masters to arrest or kill him based on the simple fact that he is a Sith Lord.

Their sworn enemy.

The only way to prevent that now would be to make people from Naboo and all over the Galaxy to provide him with support in not being arrested simply for being a Sith Lord. The Jedi would no doubt want him tried simply on that alone, recalling the past sins from the previous Sith of old, and hold him accountable for their actions. No doubt claiming the moment Vader called himself a Sith Lord, he inherited all the sins of his predecessors long since dead, and must be punished regardless of the fact no such crime had been done since being one.

At least not yet. Did it count as murder or genocide if the events around the act itself did not happen yet for well over a decade? And on the orders of a man who called himself an Emperor?

"What is your interest in helping the Queen reach Coruscant? Why help her and not the Trade Federation?" asked Obi-wan at last since his patience with the Sith Lord had now reached its limit.

Vader smirked. So there it was. The question brewing within his old former Jedi Master now once again a Jedi Apprentice for awhile since his revealing. Why serve the Queen? Why not fight for the Trade Federation? Why fight for the seemingly losing side? From a strategic standpoint, the Queen had already lost, or most likely _will_ lose if caught before being brought back to Naboo to sign the treaty. Why not fight for the side that has the financial and political power to make all your dreams and ambitions come true?

"Aside from the fact I despise the Viceroy and his ways of believing money solves all your problems? Simple. I love a challenge," said Vader while sensing Obi-wan was shocked by his response.

" _Challenge_?" asked Obi-wan while Vader nodded.

"The one aspect of the Dark Side the Jedi could never understand, is that it loves to see us struggle, endure hardships, and rise to face new problems. The Dark Side tests us. Molds us in what we were meant to be in life. Creates us from nothing by putting pressure on its chosen disciple at the moment of truth. It improves us to ensure we do not stagnate and die as a result. How does it do this? By challenging us. By testing our limits and having us going beyond them," said Vader simply and truthfully, but doubted Obi-wan would believe his words.

Even if they were true.

The Dark Side did love to test its followers. To test Dark Jedi. To test the Sith and their convictions in being Sith Lords. It hated weakness. It hated sloppiness. It hated just about everything choosing the path of stagnation or being lazy in the advancement of all things throughout the Galaxy. It tested Plagueis and Sidious. It tested Maul. It tested Vader time and time again.

But unlike with Plagueis who was so consumed in his own machinations to bring life back to the dead or Sidious with his ambition to control even the Force itself, Vader did not falter in facing them. Even Maul with his bloodlust fueled desire to go out to fight and kill everything had not met the challenges set by the Force. The missions given to him by Sidious were not challenges by set by the Force. They were missions to further Sidious's ambitions. Nothing more. In their later years, his predecessors had sent agents of all kinds against these challenges, but never faced them on their own. Not when death was a distinct possibility and would jeopardize their personal ambitions should they die.

But the Dark Side recognized those who rose to meet its challenges. The one that steps up and not only meets the challenge, but surpasses the expectations set by the Dark Side of the Force.

"I see," said Obi-wan while Vader let out a small chuckle before walking back inside.

"No Jedi. You don't see. You don't get it because you were never given a challenge. A seemingly impossible task set by your side of the Force. Until you do, you will never understand," said Vader before walking up the ramp.

"Aren't you worried about our mutual friend out there coming here tonight?" asked Obi-wan while Vader kept walking without concern.

"He won't come here tonight. He's too far away. It is too cold out here anyway, even for our 'mutual friend'. Any attempt now would only weaken him to the point where even _you_ could best him in combat," said Vader while Obi-wan glared at him and decided to ignore the insult to his skills.

'Hopefully, Master Qui-gon will make it here tomorrow with what we need to get off this place. And this time, it will be without picking up another pathetic life form like we did on Naboo,' thought Obi-wan before he entered the ship and shut the ramp.

(With Darth Maul)

Darth Maul scowled behind his hood. A strange feeling of...uncertainty? Yes, a feeling of uncertainty had latched onto him like a parasite. Feeding on his determination and loyalty to his Master and replacing it with doubt. His Master had been confident in his skills to best the Jedi. Of that, he was not in doubt since several Jedi in the past had fallen to his Lightsaber.

But this new Sith? That was another issue entirety. His very presence in the Dark Side was like a massive dark supernova. Where as his Master drew the darkness to him like a black hole, this heretic in the Force unleashed it. What bothered Maul the most was that the Force embraced this person like a long lost son and was... _happy_ to have this heretic wielding such power.

Why? How? Was this heretic even a heretic? Or was this heretic from another line of Sith Sect that had long since kept hidden for the last 1,000 years like Darth Bane? Or was this somehow an even _older_ Sith Sect that would prelude Bane's own line? Sidious had been so quick to dismiss the heretic as an abomination to the Sith, but Darth Maul was not so sure. Of course Maul didn't reveal his doubts to his Master, knowing the man would be swift to deliver painful punishments for having such thoughts. He kept them buried deep in his mind, even though his Master had full access to it, and did not mentally voice such things. So long as he did not think such doubts in his head, did his Master not hear them, and therefore was not aware of them.

But now the doubts could be spoken. Not even his Master could hear them from this far away from Coruscant. And right now, they were telling him that this Sith heretic was not what he appeared. That this Sith heretic was more then what his Master told him and did this on purpose to see just how powerful their enemy was by comparison.

It made Maul feel very uneasy.

Maul knew the way of the Sith. Backwards and forwards. The Rule of Two demanded the Apprentice one day kill the Master to become the Master. Maul knew he was nowhere near the level of power or skill needed to end his Master. It would be years, decades until the gap between them had lessened, and Maul suspected his Master would keep a very close eye on him to ensure there were no surprises when the time came for their battle.

If it got that far.

'Something is wrong. Very wrong. I feel as if this Sith should not exist. He should not be in our way. Yet he is here. What is going on? Why is the Force turning on us? Turning on Darth Bane's line of the Sith Order?' thought Maul with worry running around his mind.

 _So the rabid does have a mind. And here I thought all you knew was to charge in and kill people like some wild beast._

Maul snarled at the voice not in own or his Master entered without permission. It was a dark yet smooth voice. The kind that could swoon women and draw men into battle to fight for whoever called for it. It was not unlike his Master's voice, but younger, stronger even, and had an edge on it that seemed to be even sharper.

'You think that your words will provoke me into battle now? I will not play your games!' thought Maul with the voice of the Sith chuckling in amusement in his mind.

 _Yet you so easily play the games of your Master. Do you really think you can best me. I am stronger then you. Better then you. More skilled then you. You think your Master does not know this? You know it to be true. I am guarding the Queen. Even if you got past the Jedi and the Queen's guards, I am at whole different level. I will kill you. I will butcher you. I will leave your corpse in the desert for the scavengers to feast on. So go ahead_ _ **animal**_ _. Attack!_

Maul growled angrily at the taunting. This heretic _dared_ to mock him. Taunt him. Goad him into a fight that Maul knew would result in his own defeat. Maul knew that if he did attack now, not only would the weather conditions drain his stamina now, it would only prove this heretic right.

Maul had no intention of proving this so called Sith was right about him. No! Patience was key here. If there was one thing the Sith of the Bane line had learned since it was started, having patience was key to victory against the odds of defeat. The Jedi, in a rare moment of clarity, had learned it first and took the near annihilation of the Sith Order for them to learn it too.

So Maul would wait. He would wait for when the moment was right and strike hard with a level of brutality worthy of his status as a Sith.

(Several Days Later)

"Do I even want to ask how you got these parts Master?" asked Obi-wan jokingly while several members of the crew, Padme, and Jar Jar unloaded the parts and supplies needed to fix the hyperdrive.

"We won them. In a pod race for the ages. I sense it will be story of legend in the years to come," remarked Qui-gon on his ride before he looked at Vader standing there silently.

"You are going back into town?" asked Obi-wan seeing his Master had not dismounted from his ride.

"I have to go back for someone. Someone important," replied Qui-gon while Obi-wan shook his head.

"Why do I get the feeling we are picking up another pathetic life form?" asked Obi-wan and suddenly felt the Dark Side of the Force from the Sith Lord ripple with anger at his words.

It was almost as if Vader took his words personally for some reason.

"It is the _boy_ I told you about Obi-wan. It is because of him that we have parts needed to fix the ship and the necessary supplies for the rest of the crew," replied Qui-gon firmly while giving his Apprentice a reprimanding look.

"I shall go with you," said Vader suddenly to the surprise of both Jedi.

"For what reason?" asked Qui-gon while concerned the Sith might be seeking to take the boy on as an apprentice.

"Business," answered Vader while both Jedi looked at each other.

"Could you be a little more specific?" asked Obi-wan while also having the same worry as his Master.

"No," answered Vader with both Jedi looking at each other again.

"And if we insist you stay here?" asked Qui-gon with Vader looking at him with those deadly eyes thrumming with power.

"You could not stop me. Besides, my business coincides with your own," said Vader while Qui-gon frowned.

"You wish to take the boy as your Sith Apprentice," accused Qui-gon while Vader shook his head no.

"While that is the most logical conclusion for you to make, the answer is no. My business is not with the boy, but his Mother," said Vader while both Jedi now looked confused.

"His Mother?" asked Obi-wan while Vader glanced at him.

"That is all I will say on the matter. Either I go with you to his home or I go there myself without you. It does not matter to me," said Vader while Obi-wan and Qui-gon looked a bit more worried.

They did not want the boy to be the pawn of a Sith using the child's Mother as some kind of hostage or leverage. At the same time, the Sith could not be stopped. Not by either of them together or alone. And Vader had made it clear he was going to Mos Espa whether they liked it or not.

"The Queen won't like this. You leave her exposed to our _friend_ out there," said Obi-wan and hoping the excuse would keep the Sith Lord here.

"You are a Jedi. Surely your skills have advanced enough to handle such a weakling in the Dark Side," said Vader while Obi-wan sputtered at the words.

"Weak? I hardly find our enemy out there to be weak," protested Obi-wan while Vader smirked behind his mask.

"From a certain point of view, he is," said Vader before walking toward Qui-gon, who grimaced knowing it was best to cooperate with the Sith Lord.

For now at any rate. At the very least, he could find out what Vader wanted with Anakin's Mother before figuring out how to ensure it wasn't used for nefarious purposes.

"We'll be back Obi-wan. In the meantime, get everything installed and the ship ready to take off should our unwanted friend get here before we do," said Qui-gon with Obi-wan nodding.

"Yes Master. Be safe," answered Obi-wan before glaring slightly at Vader for putting them in this situation.

Why couldn't this have been a simple blue milk run?

(Mos Espa)

"So you were being truthful. I find that hard to believe in a Sith," remarked Qui-gon when he saw Vader head for Watto's junk shop.

"Unlike other Sith in the past, I find lying all the time to be a weakness. Lying is easy. Telling the truth is far more difficult. Besides, the truth can be a weapon just as much a lie when used properly," commented Vader knowing all too well how the truth could be used as a weapon against someone.

Namely himself.

Qui-gon watched as the Sith walked toward Watto's shop, slightly worried for the blue flying alien since Sith were not known for their diplomacy. Still, he sensed Vader was not here to cause harm, and the Force seemed to be supporting him for the moment. Deciding to proceed with his own plan, the Jedi Master entered the Skywalker home, and explain to both members of the family the good news.

While Qui-gon did this, Vader moved quickly to secure his secret Mother's future free from slavery like he had vowed to do once long ago. This was a second chance. A second chance to fulfill his most sacred promise to her. If he failed his Mother now, Vader might as well put his Lightsaber to his chest and turn the damn thing in on.

"A customer? What can I do for you?" asked a surprised, but still grouchy Watto.

Not surprising since Anakin was the alien's credit maker in repairing and improving the parts in the junk shop. People came to Watto to have their components fixed or improved with Anakin making it happen. And now with Anakin freed and no longer employed in Watt's shop, the business alien would lose a great investment for long run credit intake.

"I am here to buy a slave," said Vader while taking considerable effort to speak that one sentence.

"Then go to the slave market in Mos Eisley. I already lost one today at the pod races. I won't risk the second," grumbled Watto before he heard a loud "BANG!" and turned his head to see something in the robed man's right mechanical hand.

"Are you sure?" asked Vader before removing his hand from the large object and Watto's eyes widened in awe.

"Is that...a kyrat dragon pearl?" asked Watto in awe at seeing one so close.

"Yes. And it is yours...in exchange for Shimi Skywalker," said Vader while Watto looked at the white pearl with greedy eyes.

"How did you get this?" asked Watto knowing you don't just walk through the desert or store and instantly get one.

"Does it matter?" asked Vader firmly while not wanting to explain that during one of the days he was suppose to be guarding the ship.

In truth, the Sith had tricked everyone into believing he was standing outside of the ship during those long hours at night. Even Obi-wan was fooled by the Force technique used though Vader knew that given the Jedi Padawan's level of skill in comparison to his own, it was not hard. It was an illusionary skill used by the Sith to appear they are in one spot, but were in reality were in an entirely different place. The best part of the illusion, is he could still communicate, and interact with the people who think he was there.

The only problem with the technique was such a skill taxed his power and control due to splitting one's focus considerably the longer he held it. Vader had traveled on foot right through the desert for two hours, _after_ casting the Force technique, and killed a kyrat dragon _after_ fighting the beast for over an hour. He had to pry the pearl from the beast's body before walking back through the desert once more back to the ship.

It had been quite exhausting. Even more so when factoring in the lack of sleep he had denied himself and having to compensate through mediation. Though the last part was nothing new since he had done that before when in the suit and could not sleep due to his lack of control when sleeping from the chaos that was born from it.

Plus the dreams he had were sometimes of Padme and his time with her in the past when not on the front line of the Clone Wars. Sidious had made it quite clear during their time as Master and apprentice that such weaknesses would not be tolerated by him.

"Uh...no. No! So you want Shimi Skywalker for this. Why? With a pearl like this, you could buy quite a few slaves. Not to mention the ones you buy could be of the exotic variety and handle your every need," remarked Watto before Vader grabbed him by the throat and pulled him close so they were staring each other right in the eyes.

"Listen to me junk dealer, I care little for your crudeness. It sickens me to me no end. I came here because I wish to buy one slave. No more. No less. Do we have deal? Or do I need to resort more... _violent_ _methods_?" questioned Vader while he was _very_ tempted to kill Watto and hunt for the damn scanner that held the means to free his Mother from the tracking chip implanted in her body.

The same one that could explode if she went a certain distance away from the scanner's current position and kill Shimi in a violent gory death. It was bad enough she was beaten to death in the previous timeline, but one where his Mother explodes was much worse.

But Vader also knew that killing Watto would raise questions by the Jedi, who were no doubt sensing him right now to see what he was planning. Add in Maul and Sidious in their desire to find a weakness, would not be beneficial to him should they sense any act of the Dark Side spiked with anger on a personal level. So for the sake of his Mother not being revealed to anyone, Vader willed his right hand to _NOT_ crush Watto's windpipe.

"Deal! We have a deal! Let me go back inside and get the scanner. I have it programmed with my personal code. Once I unlock it, I will give it to you to use for owning Shimi," said Watto while staring into those crimson yellow eyes filled with rage.

"I am busy man. If you are not back in 5 minutes with the scanner, this shop will be your tomb," whispered Vader before releasing Watto from his grip.

"Of course! Of course! I will hurry!" exclaimed Watto before he flew back into his office to find the scanner while bumping into a few things along the way in his rush to get the item.

While waiting for Watto to come back, Vader sensed Maul was getting impatient with his desire to target the Queen, and would be getting ready to move on the ship. If things went as Vader suspected they would, all parties would reach the ship the exact moment when Maul arrived for his fight with Qui-gon.

Only this time, Vader had no intention of Maul having his fight with the Jedi Master since Qui-gon could barely handle Maul alone. Vader would have to convince the older man to up his training regiment to regain some of the stamina he once had in his younger years. It wouldn't be difficult per se. The Sith Lord would just need to get the Jedi Master to train in the ways of combat for well over 6 hours straight for the next few weeks in some very draining exercises.

It was essentially a crash course in physical training, but if enough effort was put into the work, Vader believed such a thing would benefit Qui-gon in the long run. Maybe even convince the Jedi Master to keep doing it and stay in good physical shape.

'Qui-gon is key to Anakin Skywalker's training. He understood what a boy that age truly needed. Where Obi-wan was restrictive, Qui-gon would have been open-minded and saw how I was different from the others. I still remember how no matter what I did at the Jedi Temple, Obi-wan would always frown at me. As if what I did, no matter how perfect, was never good enough in his eyes. Always try harder. Harder. Harder! I gave some of my best years to the Jedi Order and Obi-wan. And what did they give me in return? 'Do better Anakin.', 'Not good enough Anakin.', 'You are being too emotional Anakin.', and other negative 'lessons' they felt I needed to hear. What possessed them to say such stupid things to me? I was a former slave kept down by such negativity. I wanted positive things to be said. To prove my action had value. That _I_ had value. Instead I felt like a slave who was traded from my owner to another,' thought Vader while feeling the past memories of his life as Anakin Skywalker claw at the back of his mind with the phantom pains that came with it.

Fortunately, Watto came back with the scanner needed to find the chip, and free Shimi from its invisible power it had over her. Not even bothering to be polite anymore, Vader used the Force to pluck it from Watto's hands before the blue alien could say anything, and walked out of the shop without a word.

"Outlanders. No respect. Still, I can't believe he bought one slave for this pearl. What was he thinking?" asked Watto out loud, but shook his head while deciding to forget it.

Why ask questions when you can enjoy the fruits of your business deals? Because of this one pearl, Watto had recouped his losses several times over. Questions had no business being apart of this kind of business.

"Ready to depart?" asked Qui-gon with Vader nodding after revealing the scanner, which Shimi knew was Watto's since she had seen it in the past.

"Not yet. We need to prepare for the woman to come with us," said Vader before he activated the scanner to find the chip so he could deactivate it.

"You freed my Mom?!" asked the young Anakin Skywalker in awe and wonder though his instincts about the man made him wary since there was a...coldness in him.

"Yes. I paid Watto an amount of money he could not refuse," said Vader before he found the chip in his secret Mother's jaw and activated the shut down sequence.

Surgery to have it taken out would come later.

"If you had the planet's currency, we could have used it to pay for the parts needed at Watto's shop," remarked Qui-gon curiously and with suspicion.

"I acquired the means to pay Watto for the boy's Mother _after_ the pod race ended and it was not with the local currency. At least not in the way you are thinking," said Vader while making sure both family members were clean of any other tracking/exploding chips on their person before crushing the scanning device in his hand.

"But I can't leave. This house is all I have to live in and Watto's shop is the only place on this world where I can find work," said Shimi while Anakin looked depressed by that.

"It just so happens, I have some pull with the current Queen of Naboo. She could use another handmaiden or attendant to assist in her royal duties," offered Vader while he glanced at Qui-gon for supporting the idea.

"It would be beneficial for Anakin if you came along, if only for a short time. It will help in the transition of leaving you for becoming a Jedi. You will get to spend time together until we get to Coruscant and have to go your separate ways," offered Qui-gon since he suspected this was one of things Vader had planned to happen when coming here.

"Not only that, but being a handmaiden to the Queen of Naboo is a high honor. Naboo itself is a peaceful planet and once we complete our mission, it will be safe to live on once again," added Vader knowing Anakin would want his Mother to be safe and Shimi herself had no love for this planet.

Not with all the different ways a person can die on this wretched planet.

"I...I don't know," said Shimi while hesitant to leave her home for a new planet and a new life.

"Please Mom! If you come with us, you will get to meet new people and try new things. And...And we can have a proper goodbye too," said Anakin with Shimi smiling at her son and saw his depressed face.

She could never resist that face.

"Very well. I suppose it is for the best. But I can't pack everything. I am only taking what matters," said Shimi though in truth there wasn't much in the house to take with them.

"We better hurry. Our ride will no doubt get impatient if we stay here for too long," said Qui-gon while not mentioning a certain enemy now getting closer to the Nubian ship.

No sense in worrying both the boy and his Mother right after all of this.

(With Darth Maul)

Maul could sense it. The closer he got to his intended target, the more he sensed almost all of them were there. The heretic had fooled him with a technique meant to trick people into believing he was in one spot when in reality, was in another the entire time. A good tactical play on the heretic's part. But the Dark Side was Maul's ally and saw through the illusion when probing the sensory skills of the Jedi watching the Queen to see how close a range he could get before being sensed by them.

What the heretic did at night when away from the ship was unknown to him, but it did not matter Maul. What did matter now was the heretic and one Jedi were away from the ship now and one Jedi remained on guard with the Queen's weak so called security. All he had to do was get there before the Jedi and heretic came back from the nearby desert town this insufferable planet had to offer, kill the Jedi guarding the Queen along with her entire entourage before finishing off the remaining threats as they returned.

Which was why he was heading there right now. The only problem now was his personal speeder Bloodfin was having problems in terms of the fueling system and engine output. The internal diagnostic computer had informing him that something was clogging or if not possibly clamping down on the fuel pump regulator, which was reducing the amount of fuel the speeder's engines were getting. As a result, his speed was not what it should be when fully functioning, and was not reaching the speed Maul preferred.

At this rate, Maul knew he would not get ahead of his enemies. In fact, he suspected the heretic was using his power to discreetly cripple his engine system long enough to get back to the ship. Either to take off with the Queen or make a stand against Maul himself in a fight to the finish.

Maul was itching for the latter to happen. To prove his overall supremacy over this damn Sith heretic. To prove himself to his Master in being a worthy apprentice. To prove he was without question...a Sith.

'I know you are doing this heretic. I know you are stalling my speeder. You will not get away. I will find you. I will kill you. And I will enjoy bringing your corpse to my Master as proof of my victory,' thought Maul while gritting his teeth in frustration at the speeder being unable to go faster.

 _Typical rabid animal behavior. You think you know what it is to hate. To use the Dark Side. To feel it. You know nothing of its power. Its true power. It would consume you. Dominate you as your instincts and bloodlust do now. You are just a berserker. You have no control. No real training. Your Master has sparred with you how many times? Two? Three? Maybe ten times total during the entire time you trained under his watchful eyes? Sidious sent you to various weapon training groups to learn how to fight under them first, didn't he? The man did not actually train you. Not the way a Sith is meant to be trained. You are a tool. Nothing more._

Maul growled loudly against the wind at the mocking words of the heretic rattled around in his head. Now he was _absolutely_ _certain_ the enemy was responsible for his speeder's current malfunction.

He would enjoy ripping the man's heart out.

(With Vader)

Vader smirked at his tactics were making Maul angry. Well... _angrier_ would most likely be the correct wordage to use here. Maul was always angry. But it was the wrong kind of anger. It was childish anger. Misguided anger. Not the raw emotional unyielding anger a Sith draws on to fully feel the Dark Side of the Force. Vader's anger was, in a very ironic way, considered to be pure. His anger had always been emotional. Anger at how he and his Mother slaves. Anger at the Jedi for controlling him in their own subtle way due to a prophecy they shouldn't have tried to alter in the first place. Anger at Sidious for leaving him in such a crippled state all those years, never allowed to fully heal or seek out new technological methods heal himself. Better prosthetics. A new breathing system. Sidious denied them all. Vader held anger for the Senators of the slowly corrupted Republic and their greed for wanting more while others died while having so little. Those who were not corrupt were too few and too gutless to speak out. Afraid of assassination attempts or the fact their enemies would fabricate lies or plant false evidence while slandering their good names to the point where being reelected was impossible. And more importantly, Vader hated himself. For his failures. For not trying harder. For not doing what _he felt_ , he _knew_ was right, and did it. How many times did Vader or Anakin obey orders from others in charge and the people he loved paid for it with their blood or lives?

Where Maul hated so few things in life for empty reasons with no feeling behind them whatsoever, Vader hated many things. Hated them because of the painful experiences that led to them. What did Maul have to hate? Nothing! He was taught to hate. The animal did not know what hate was until it was shoved down his throat by Sidious and even that was incomplete. Vader experience hatred all his life. The Sith Lord could arguably stat he had dished out as much as he had taken.

It was no real surprise to Vader that his power in the Dark Side dwarfed Maul's by such a wide margin.

"Time to go," remarked Vader before turning his head to see Shimi was helped onto one of their animal transports for rides by Qui-gon while the rest of the few items deemed to be valuable to the Skywalker family were already on it.

Threepio was already deactivated and covered to keep the sand from getting into his yet to be plate covered systems.

"Something I should I know?" asked Qui-gon after helping Anakin up to his seat in front of his Mother.

"Only that we should move and do it quickly. My stall tactic on our unwelcome quest will not last forever," said Vader before he got on the ride and Qui-gon doing the same before they headed for the ship.

And the Jedi Master getting on his comlink to contact Obi-wan.

(With Obi-wan)

"Right. I understand Master. We will begin take off procedures immediately," said Obi-wan before heading inside to tell the pilot to get ready.

"You seem a bit tense Jedi Kenobi. Something we should know?" asked Padme while in her handmaiden attire.

"Nothing to worry about young handmaiden. My Master just wants the ship ready for take off when he returns," answered Obi-wan while not wanting to reveal to the woman that a Dark Side using assassin was on his way here to kill them.

'He's lying. No. Just not revealing certain truths behind his words. Something is about to happen and soon,' thought Padme before she went to inform the Captain of her suspicion and to prepare some measure of defense.

"I don't like this. Mesa have a bad feeling," remarked Jar Jar while looking nervous and scared.

And he wasn't the only one.

Captain Panaka liked to think himself as an intelligent man. He knew enough about the ways of the Galaxy and the planets that ruled it. He knew long ago it wasn't filled with all goodness and honor. There was dark things in the Galaxy. Horrible things. Things that could make a man have nightmares to the end of his days. Monsters that hid in the dark places where these nightmares were born, waiting to come out into the open, and attack with cruel intensions.

And one was currently heading their way.

The good Captain didn't know much about the Force. Not really. Only the stories from the people who witnessed the Jedi use it. Levitate objects. Leap impossible distances. Read minds even. He heard stories how Jedi wielded their Lightsabers and deflected blaster bolts at incredible speed and precision you didn't think was possible for any species in the Galaxy. But they did. Panaka had seen it with the two Jedi assigned to protect the Queen. They were skilled. No question.

But their opposition, this Sith Lord, which they had not fought, or seen apparently for roughly a 1,000 years until recently seemed to be even more skilled. Panaka saw him move with a grace and skill of someone with training one would find in a person twice the age of this young Sith Lord.

And now there was something out there that caught the attention of both the Jedi and the Sith Lord with the impression being this new opposition was not friendly to them or the Queen in the slightest. But what Panaka found concerning was not the assassin himself, but the fact it got the attention of both rival sides, and they seemed to be taken this very seriously.

Which means bad things all around.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the Jedi Master and the Sith Lord to arrive, but the Captain was a bit surprised both would go to retrieve a boy along with his Mother. And was that an incomplete droid of some kind with them? What was going on?

"Captain, is the ship ready to fly?" asked Vader after walking up the ramp to address the man while Shimi and Anakin got what they needed from their ride.

"Yes Lord Vader. The new parts for the hyperdrive were installed and we are ready to take off once everyone is on board," answered Captain Panaka while he saw the family behind him heading toward their ship.

This was not a passenger cruise ship. Why were they coming?!

"Good. See to it that the boy and his Mother are given a place to stay for the trip. I will be back shortly," said Vader before turning around and walking down the ramp.

"Where are you going now?" asked Captain Panaka and he wondered if everyone using the Force were completely out of touch with people.

"To deal with our uninvited guest," said Vader while walking to the bottom of the ramp and saw Qui-gon was ready for Maul on the speeder zooming toward them.

"I still don't trust you," commented Qui-gon with Vader smirking.

"Pity. And here I thought I did. Go back inside the ship Jedi. This fight is not for you," said Vader while seeing Qui-gon glance at him.

"And it is for you?" questioned Qui-gon with Vader's smirk underneath his mask getting bigger.

"Considering I have been mentally provoking and taunting our enemy the last few days? Yes. It is my fight," answered Vader while Qui-gon gave him a long hard look.

"If you don't die, we are going to have long discussion about this," said Qui-gon with Vader looking amused despite his mask covering it.

"I look forward to the conversation. Now get inside. You and your Padawan are the next line of defense should I fall. Not that I expect myself to die at the hands of such an rabid animal," remarked Vader while seeing Maul getting closer now to the ship.

70 feet and Vader did nothing

60 feet and the Sith Lord just stood there unmoving.

50 feet the Force began to stir within him.

40 feet and Vader smirked while sensing the rising bloodlust within Maul getting ready to make his move.

It was only when Maul was within 30 feet of the ship did Vader make his first by using the Force to violently stop the speeder as if it hit a solid impenetrable wall. The end result was Maul was sent flying forward from his speeder's seat into the air toward the sandy desert ground. Only through his own agility and skills in the Force did Maul land on his feet in a somewhat gracefully manner. He glaring up at his enemy, stood up from his new position now less than 15 feet from Vader's own at the base of the ramp of the ship.

"Heretic," whispered Maul hatefully before igniting half of his Lightsaber in order to save the true potential of his weapon for later.

"The Force is with you Maul. But you are not a Sith yet," commented Vader while wind blew to the side of him and their Sith robes billowed in the process.

Snarling in rage at the comment, Maul charged forward, intent on breaking through this heretic's defense, rush up the ship, slay the Jedi, the guards, and finally make his way to the Queen in one shot. Maul was fast, quick, agile, and the Dark Side of the Force as his ally. All those things should have been enough to have him win the day.

Key word being should.

Vader knew all of Maul's skills. His Master had long since gloated how Maul had been such a useful pawn in killing quite a few Jedi that left the Order so they wouldn't posses a threat later should they decide to return to service. How his first "apprentice" had killed Qui-gon Jinn on Naboo using the double bladed Lightsaber and sending Maul over to the world where the animalistic Zabrak's fighting style could be brought out to its fullest potential. Naturally, Vader had done his own research just in case Sidious trained another young and strong apprentice to replace him using the exact same Lightsaber and style.

Seeing Maul's plan of attack, Vader used the Force to send Maul flying back without even raising his hand in a motion to do it. As he expected, Maul did not have any real defense against Force attacks since Sidious didn't want his animal possibly fighting his power should a challenge be issued. It was clear to Vader that Maul's training was so twisted and corrupted in a sense that it was any wonder the Zabrak accomplished half of the assigned goals Sidious gave him. The Sith Lord could only speculate that Maul's high endurance for pain, determination, and aggressive combat skills with his Lightsaber were what made him so successful.

But up against a properly trained Sith like Vader? It was like asking a youngling to stand toe to toe with General Grievous in an all out Lightsaber duel.

As for Maul, he wasn't expecting a sudden attack from the Force, nor realizing up until this point that his training did not involve a defense against Force attacks. Why would he? His Master had never felt it necessary. At least not yet at least until he was stronger in the Force. Therefore, Maul had by default not considered the idea of trying to improve his own defense since offensive strategies had worked for him in the past. There had been no need for any defensive countermeasures.

He would have to ask his Master about it when they spoke next. If there was a next.

Slowly rising again from his kneeling position, Maul narrowed his eyes at the heretic, and decided a slower approach was better. Bait the man into igniting his Lightsaber in order to fight it out here amongst the sand. It would be difficult given how unpredictable sand could be at time. It was not truly solid nor liquid, but could support your weight if there was enough of it flat on the ground. Right now, the area around them, and the ship was flat to the point where uneven desert terrain would not be a factor.

Not yet at least.

"Face me heretic of the Sith Order. Face me in battle as a true Sith would," demanded Maul while Vader let out a chuckle of amusement.

"Ironic that you would speak such things when you yourself are not a true Sith. A true Sith would have hid his presence from us. A true Sith would not have charged to blindly and recklessly as you did. Not only have you proven yourself to be rabid animal, but an incompetent _embarrassment_ to the Sith Order. To think you come from the lineage of Darth Bane," mocked Vader while Maul slowly moved closer while trying to keep his already short temper in check.

"So you know of us? What lineage do you come from. What branch of the Sith Order did you learn from?" asked Maul curiously since it was possible for another branch outside of Darth Bane to exist and like them, was in hiding from the Galaxy.

"That is for me to know and for you or your Master to never find out...until right before your death," replied Vader before he ignited his Lightsaber.

"At least you wield our color. Though you are still a heretic in my eyes and the eyes of my Master," remarked Maul while Vader let out another amused chuckle.

"If anyone is the heretic of the Sith Order...it is your so called Master!" said Vader before he surprised Maul by moving at incredible speed using the Force.

Only through Maul's reflexes and instincts was he successful in blocking the strike. After that, it was all a blur for the Zabrak, as he was trying to use the Force himself to match his enemy's speed, ferocity, and his overall strength. He didn't even have time to activate the other half of his Lightsaber since Vader wouldn't even let him get a chance to breath much less move one of his fingers to press the button needed to bring the other end of the weapon to life.

(With the others)

"Look at him go. He's so wizard!" exclaimed Anakin in awe at the skill level that Darth Vader was using against Maul.

"Stay with your Mother over there Anakin. It's not safe here," said Qui-gon while gently, but firmly moving the boy to his Mother.

"He's complete dominating the assassin," commented Captain Panaka while seeing Maul being pushed back even further by Vader.

"Did you hear what they were saying Master? Something about a Sith lineage and Darth Bane?" asked Obi-wan while Qui-gon nodded.

"I did Obi-wan. This is something we will need the Jedi Order to investigate when safely back on Coruscant," said Qui-gon, who held back a wince when Vader got through and underneath Maul's defense before giving the Zabrak a mean elbow to the face.

The power behind the hit caused Maul to stumble back and fall against the sand. Before he could even rise, Vader had put his boot to his chest, and used the Force to snatch the double bladed Lightsaber from his hands. To Maul's horror, Vader activated it and put both red energy blades crossed together in front of his neck.

"Go ahead. Finish me. At least give me a death worthy of a Sith Lord," said Maul while he stared up at Vader and expected the Sith to nod before doing the deed that would end his life.

Only to be shocked once again when Vader deactivated _both_ Lightsabers and began to walk away from the Zabrak.

"No. It is not your time," said Vader simply knowing the Zabrak's death _must_ happen on Naboo.

The Force commanded it.

"You can't even kill your enemy. You call yourself a Sith?! Showing your enemy mercy is not the Sith way. You are not worthy of the title!" exclaimed Maul angrily over the fact that not only was he defeated by the heretic, but was shown mercy, lost his Lightsaber, and was treated like his life was not worth ending.

It was here Vader stopped and slowly turned to look at Maul with his reddish yellow eyes looking back at the Zabrak's own.

"Mercy? You think sparing you here is mercy? Fool! What do you think will happen after returning to your Master's side? What do you think will happen when you tell him you have failed in your mission? Not only to kill me, but the two Jedi, and the Queen's own entourage? And what about your main mission to capture the Queen herself? What do you think awaits you when kneeling in front of your Master and reporting only _failure_?!" asked Vader while Maul suddenly had a look of fear on his face.

If there was one thing a Sith hate above all else, it was failure. The only thing worse was failing your Master and being punished for it. Even when it wasn't your fault! The Sith had always been taught to complete the mission, no matter what. Failure was never to be an option or allowed under penalty of extreme torture or death depending on the extent of the failure.

And considering Maul's failure to complete such an important mission, he was certain that Sidious would torture him for a long time before stopping. Maul knew from his past experience when he didn't meet his Master's expectations or in rare instances failed a mission that the torture was lengthy. No matter how small the failure or infraction, Maul was punished heavily, and slowly with Sidious laughing at his suffering as it happened.

"I see you understand. My mercy here is not mercy at all. It is merely a prelude to the pain and suffering that is to come at the hands of your Master," remarked Vader before he began walking away again.

"What is your name? Tell me your name! I must know it!" demanded Maul with a hint of impatience and desperation in his voice.

Vader stopped just at the base of the ramp and turned once more to stare at the desperate looking Zabrak wanting to know the name of the Sith who bested him.

"Vader. Darth Vader," said Darth Vader while walking up the ramp and the ramp rising up before the ship started to take off.

"Vader. I will remember the name. For it is the name of my one true challenge. For when I face you next, I will defeat you. And when I do, it will be the beginning of the end for my Master as well," remarked Maul knowing their next fight would be his true test as a Sith and advancing beyond his limits.

And when Maul did succeed in killing the heret-no, Darth Vader, he would heal, lick his wounds from their inevitable battle. After that, he would seek out his Master. He would seek out Sidious and kill him to become the new Master as the Rule of Two demanded!

But for now, Maul would wait. He would return to his Master and accept his torturous punishment like a good apprentice. Heal from all his wounds both physical and mental. Retrieve one of the many double bladed Lightsabers he had made in case the one he used either become broken or somehow became lost.

When he met Darth Vader again, Maul would be ready for him. He would fight and he would _win_!

(Nubian Ship)

"You could have killed him. You had a chance to rid us and the Queen of a threat, yet you didn't. Why didn't you?" demanded Obi-wan while seeing Vader walking toward what he deemed were his quarters.

"It wasn't the right time. Maul's value alive is greater than his death at the moment. You have nothing to fear Jedi. He will die the next time we fight," answered Vader while Obi-wan looked even more upset.

"Maul? As is in _Darth_ Maul? You know the name of yet another Sith? Just what else are you keeping from us Vader?!" demanded Obi-wan with his anxiousness showing and his concern mounting.

"It is not your concern Jedi. It is mine and mine alone," replied Vader calmly.

"The Hell it is! Tell us now or you will face the consequences," warned Obi-wan and saw Vader stop walking away while standing there with his back to the Jedi Padawan for a long few seconds.

The faint sound of leather being stretched could be heard though they did not know it came from the Sith Lord or his right hand becoming a fist.

"Do not test me Jedi. Make no mistake. We maybe allies on this ship due to our reasons for saving the Queen from harm. But do not think for one second that I will not kill you where you stand," warned Vader in a whispered tone before walking away from the irate Jedi apprentice.

"Leave him be Obi-wan. Whatever Vader has planned does not threaten our mission or put the Queen in any danger," said Qui-gon while Obi-wan didn't look convinced.

"He's hiding something Master. Darth Vader has been hiding things from us since we first encountered him on Naboo," protested Obi-wan with Qui-gon nodding.

"I know Obi-wan, but trying to discover what those secrets now will only hamper our mission to protect the Queen in the future. Only when we get to Coruscant can a proper investigation into this mystery can begin," advised Qui-gon with Obi-wan still looking uneasy.

"I don't like it Master. A Sith on Coruscant? If he goes underground, we may never find him. Or worse, he might take control of it using the darker elements underneath the city," warned Obi-wan with Qui-gon nodding.

"Perhaps. But something tells me he won't leave us until after the mission is complete and it is unknown how long it will last. For the moment, time is on our side in obtaining the resources needed to dig into Darth Vader's past," replied Qui-gon calmly despite his own concerns.

Namely the possibly interest Anakin might take with the Sith Lord. If the boy was indeed the Child of Prophecy, being near the Sith Lord, or any Sith Lord for that matter was not in the best interest of the boy.

(A/N: YAY! Another super long chapter for you guys. So much praise for my work. I am honored. Things are going to get interesting from here on out so hold onto your butts and enjoy the ride! Until next time...PEACE!)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3-Aggressive Moves Part 2

The trip to Coruscant was met with little problems surprisingly enough given just how the crew of this Nubian ship had a lot happen to them in such a short amount of time. Like being been shot at when leaving Naboo, landing on an Outer Rim world controlled by a notorious gangster for a Hutt, hunted by a Dark Side using assassin, and putting their fate of getting the necessary parts in the hands of a 9 year old boy. Add to the fact they were being aided by the Jedi's rival, who was using what was the polar opposite of their power.

So it was a nice change of pace for them even if they knew it was only a small reprieve to what was going to happen when arriving on Coruscant. They knew it was only a matter of time before being sent back into the dangerous grip their enemies had planned for them back on Naboo.

The Jedi stayed close to the Queen. Providing her insight on what they knew about the Senate since she had never been to Coruscant or dealt with their politics. The Queen was accepting of their advice since she did not know what to expect and had simply hoped the Senate would instantly act when told her story.

Anakin and his Mother Shimi were welcomed aboard the ship thanks to Padme, who had "talked" to the Queen about the elder Skywalker into being a handmaiden. Naturally, it was a quickly accepted decision, and one Shimi humbly accepted. The Queen had also assured the older woman that being a handmaiden was not like being a slave. For one, the Queen promised that once Naboo was freed from invasion, a proper home would be made for her, and a steady income too.

As for Anakin, he was always welcome on Naboo when not focusing on his future Jedi duties since Qui-gon had made it clear to the boy he would become one. His potential in the Force was high and could become a great Jedi if he committed to it. Anakin accepted it, even when warned that it was a hard life, filled with hard truths, and the training itself would not be easy. Anakin didn't care. He had a chance to go out into the Galaxy and fight against the evil that was out there that supported thing like slavery. He would fight against such things, protect people from harm, and free other slaves in the process.

Naturally, his Mother was concerned for him, but Anakin assured her that with the Jedi training he would receive, it would be okay. Besides, Qui-gon had told Shimi any kind of mission Anakin first went on wouldn't be for several years at least, and only after being brought up to speed with extensive training at the Jedi Temple before being trained by his assigned Jedi Master.

Of course, Qui-gon didn't tell Anakin he planned to take the boy as his apprentice in a few years time after Obi-wan himself took the Jedi Trials to become a Jedi Knight. As much as Qui-gon wanted to take the boy as his Jedi Padawan now, the rules of the Jedi Order had forbid it, and would deny the Jedi Master outright.

As for Vader, he kept his distance from the rest of the crew. He spend his days eating alone, training in private, and meditating in private. No one really wanted to be around him given the "darkness" that seemed to be around him. Or the fact he was clearly some kind of dark entity similar to the one that tried to kill the Queen. While they were grateful to him for siding with her in this, it was clear his presence made people very nervous.

Vader didn't mind nor did he care about that. What he cared about was ensuring things went as planned. That his Mother stayed safe, living well past the next 10 years, and not dying before her time.

So far that plan was almost complete. Naboo never had problems with their sector of the Galaxy after the Trade Federation lost to them. Even during the Clone Wars, the planet was almost never bothered with the exception of one instance or two. Though Vader had planned to hire some discreet agents by that point to watch over and protect Shimi to help ensure she didn't die.

The next part of the plan involved her son, Anakin Skywalker, getting accepted into the Jedi Order _despite_ the stupid fact he would no doubt be labeled "too old" by the stuffy Jedi Masters there. Vader knew this was going to be a difficult task given how those emotionless fools on the Jedi Council would see Anakin as something that went against their way of doing things for the last 1,000 years. Anakin Skywalker was more then just the "Child of Prophecy" that was foretold, but a boy who become a man, and would one day possibly try to inspire change in the Jedi Order. A change the Jedi Masters of this time did not want and thus tried to change him in order to prevent the prophecy from one day forcing them to change with the times.

It was no wonder the Force had decided enough was enough and decided to destroy the Jedi Order after going against its Will in Vader's time.

In any case, the plan would soon reach the delicate stage when Qui-gon would have to plead Anakin's case, and if need be...become the boy's Jedi Master. Unlike last time though, Vader would make sure such a thing did happen, and that Obi-wan did not do it in his place. The man had been incompetent in teaching Anakin when growing up and was partially (in Vader's mind) responsible for the boy's Mother dying. The Force had clearly showed Anakin those visions of her suffering for a reason and yet Obi-wan either did not believe they were visions or did believe, but was told to ignore them by the Jedi Council in order to ensure the connection between family members was severed.

At the very least, Obi-wan could have brought Anakin's concerns about his Mother to the Jedi Council for further examination. They could have even sent another Jedi to the damn planet to investigate just to be sure. Was it so hard to ask the Jedi Order to send at least one or two of their members out of over 10,000 Jedi within its ranks to go to Tatooine for the sake of the Mother who birthed the "Chosen One" they went on about?

Regardless, Vader would make sure that was not an issue this time around. The Jedi had their chance with the prophecy and now it was his turn for it to come to pass in the right way.

The next and much larger task, was instigating the Clone Wars. It had to happen. Vader knew it was bad to think such thoughts. War brought pain, suffering, death, and scars that did not heal long after the war was over. But war bred several positive things too despite the horrors it brought upon others. Namely advanced technology. To take what was made available at the time and make it bigger, better, and easier to use. While the Empire had its faults, _a lot_ of faults, it was highly advanced, and the advancements in technology it had would _never_ been possible in such a short amount of time without the war. Medicine, prosthetics, and ships all advanced after the smoke cleared following the Clone Wars. It had taken the lives of billions of people, damaged or destroyed planets, and placing a Sith Lord on an Imperial throne but the progress _WAS_ there.

But the war could be contained. Altered. The advancements could happen without such loss of life, but for it to work, Vader would need to get in contact with some of the key players. Some of them would have to be told certain things that would no doubt make them very unsettled with what the future held for them without his interference. There was also the risk of them seeking to take matters into their own hands, stop the future outright before it happened, and kill Sidious before the time was right.

The Clone Wars wasn't just about advancing technology. It was about getting the Galaxy to stop stagnating and to change with the times. To draw blood from the Republic and to draw poison from within the blood before it could spread to the point of killing it. Vader needed this war to make the Republic change, the Jedi to change, and to make the Galaxy change.

If it didn't, Vader knew nothing would stop the _true_ _enemy_ waiting deep in the Unknown Regions from invading the Galaxy. Thrawn had been quite explicit in his reports about this enemy and what it meant for the entire Galaxy if they were not dealt with upon their arrival. The Emperor had ignored the Chiss's concerns, saying the Dark Side of the Force, his Imperial war machine, and the Death Star (the first one) would be enough to stop this invasion when the time came to fight.

But Vader was not one to leave things to chance. He was a military man and knew threats when he saw one or the Force told him as much. It was one of the reasons why Vader had secretly made Thrawn his ally who would have supported him after the plan to eventually overthrow the Emperor in the previous timeline was successful. In exchange for the blue skinned strategist support for ruling the Empire with his son by his side, the constantly calculating Grand Admiral would be given all the ships, weapons, resources, and tactical manpower to repel this future enemy.

But things never go as planned. They never do. With this alteration to the timeline, Vader knew he had to obtain key people before Sidious did.

"Lord Vader," said Captain Panaka before he knocked on the nearby wall to get the Sith's attention from his mediation.

"What is it Captain?" asked Vader, but already knew.

"We will be arriving on Coruscant shortly. We have been given clearance to land and will be landing in a few hours," replied Captain Panaka knowing the Sith Lord had made it clear to inform him of when they would be near the planet.

"Good. I will meet everyone at the boarding ramp shortly," said Vader while once more glad Padme had such a competent Captain as her Head of Security.

(With Sidious)

Sidious was not happy. He was far from happy. His Apprentice failed him. _Failed_! What is worse, there was nothing Maul could tell him about this enemy except his name. Darth Vader. An imposing name for an imposing Sith. But it did not help Sidious in planning on how to combat this threat to his future rule and the Grand Plan. Maul had only been able to give a brief description of Vader and the skill with a Lightsaber far surpassing the Zabrak's own. Granted, his so called Apprentice didn't use its full potential, but Sidious knew from how Maul described Vader's skill that using the double bladed fighting style would not have improved the odds of defeating his enemy.

It was troubling to put it lightly.

As for Maul's _multiple_ failures, he punished his Apprentice harshly to the point where the Zabrak would need to spend time in a bacta tank for several days. Even in the tank, Maul would feel pain as Sidious had designed the tanks his Apprentice used to attack a body's nervous system. However, the one thing Sidious noticed when preparing his Apprentice's punishment, he noticed Maul did not look afraid, or even surprised by the act itself. His body had tensed, the mind showing signs of building up a defense, and eyes showing the Zabrak was determined to take what was dished out on him instead of cowering like he had done in the past.

Again, it was unsettling to Sidious that his Apprentice would be so well prepared for him when every other time Maul had been never prepared for an attack. Always accepting his punishments when he failed or the learning from various "lessons on pain" when it came teaching him.

But now? Now there were signs of defiance in Maul's eyes. The so called student had the seeds of ambition to move farther planted in his mind. By Vader no doubt. Sidious now suspected Vader had informed Maul of what would happen when returning to him after losing. No doubt the loss had ignited something in Maul to desire being strong enough to defeat Vader and even Sidious himself one day.

All the more reason to remove Maul from the game board soon. If the Zabrak learned he was just an expendable asset instead of a future Sith Lord, it would jeopardize the Grand Plan further. Which is why Sidious had ordered Maul to Naboo to not only ensure the Viceroy didn't do anything stupid, but to keep his Apprentice away from Coruscant. He didn't need his tool to do something stupid and attack Vader again at this time on such a populated planet where the Jedi were located. He knew they would be watching Vader and Sidious did not need them seeing Maul before possibly finding Maul's "residency" in the Works.

When word reached him via his Senatorial Aid that the Nubian ship carrying the Queen had arrived, Sidious nearly cursed since it had nearly slipped past him. Keeping up the facade of a polite and honest Senator, he thanked his Aid, and quickly used the speeder transport system used by Senators and Supreme Chancellor to arrive at the landing pad. As expected, the two Jedi came out to greet them before the bodyguards, and finally the Queen herself while surrounded by her handmaidens. Some of them were similar in their height, hair, and even facial features with that of the Queen. He had heard rumors on how past Queens had used handmaidens as doubles in times of crisis on Naboo, but did not believe one was being used now.

Next came a boy, his Mother, and some alien creature. Possibly a Gungan from what he knew of his own planet's history. The child was curious and in awe of the planet. The Mother was nervous, yet hopeful. Clearly a Mother and son pair from the lowly and backwater Outer Rim planet the Queen had hidden herself on after escaping Naboo. The Gungan and the Mother were irrelevant. What _was_ relevant was the boy and his shining presence within the Force singing and showed him the boy's potential in it.

The ideal apprentice. With him, Sidious could have the means to crush the Jedi, and even that fool Vader in the years to come.

Speaking of Vader...

When Sidious saw him descend from the ramp, his eyes widened at seeing, and sensing the man through the Force. So much power. So much darkness within a single person. It rivaled his own and was even younger then Sidious! Yet despite the young age, Vader was in complete control of his power. Not the other way around. Something that few Sith could do and said control usually took _years_ to master far beyond the young age this man was showing despite his hood hiding it.

"Your Majesty. I am pleased you made it here alive. Communications with Naboo have ceased and we feared the worst had happened," said Sidious while now playing the role of kind and supportive Senator Palpatine.

"Thank you Senator," said the Queen before bowing to the man with respect.

"May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum," said Palpatine while Valorum stood there looking tall, proud, and ready to help the Queen.

Sidious found it amusing how easy it was to fool people and his pawns for advancement were doing such a thing as well without even knowing they were in the process. By the time Valorum's true power (or lack of it) was revealed to the Queen in public when she was making her appeal to the Senate, Sidious knew his ascension would be at hand.

"Your Highness. Rest assured we will get to the bottom of this and end this crisis on Naboo immediately," said Valorum while the Queen nodded and was quickly escorted to the nearby speeder cars to take them to Ambassador Suites where Queens, Kings, and Senators resided.

"I must speak to the Jedi Council. The situation has become much more complicated," said Qui-gon to Valorum and had to stop himself from looking at Vader.

"Of course," said Chancellor Valorum before turning to see Vader approaching.

"I request a proper medic and droid with surgical skills be sent to the Queen's suite," said Vader while Valorum tried not to look intimidated by him.

And slightly failing.

"May I ask why?" asked Valorum before Vader gestured to the boy and his Mother.

"These two have slave chips with explosives were surgically implanted in their bodies. While both chips have been deactivated, I would prefer they not stay there, and have to risk someone trying to reactivate them," said Vader while Shimi gasped and Anakin had grabbed his Mother's hand tightly.

Neither had considered the idea that just because the chips were shut down, it didn't mean someone might try to find the frequency to turn them on.

"You have been busy," remarked Valorum to Qui-gon since this mission kept getting stranger as time went.

"You have no idea," whispered Obi-wan, but was heard by the people in front of him.

"Please excuse the Jedi's Padawan. He is an idiot," said Vader while Obi-wan sputtered at the insult and Anakin held back a smirk.

"I understand. If you will all follow me to the transports, we can get everyone situated at sent to their destination," said Valorum while motioning for all of them to follow him.

(500 Republica-Senatorial Suites)

"I'm afraid the Senate is not what it once was your Majesty. It is filled with scheming delegates and squabbling bureaucrats seeking to take more for themselves. Nothing much gets done these days when the Senate is in session listening to someone prattling on about one thing or another. You will find no real friends in the Senate aiding our cause or any real help from the Supreme Chancellor himself," said Palpatine before he let out sigh as if the whole thing was hopeless.

And skillfully ignoring the crimson yellow eyes of the Sith Lord, Darth Vader, watching their conversation with great interest. The boy and his Mother were in the other room of the Senatorial Suite with a doctor and surgical droid skillfully removing the slave chips from them.

"Supreme Chancellor Valorum is our strongest supporter. Surely he will use the power of his office to call on the Senate to aid us," countered the Queen while she saw Palpatine did not look convinced.

"I'm afraid the Supreme Chancellor doesn't hold any real power in the Senate. His own term is nearly up and is constantly surrounded by baseless accusations of corruption. Any political power he may have had in the past has long since been spent my dear. We are on our own unless...," said Palpatine while looking like he thought of something.

"Unless?" asked the Queen curiously.

"You _could_ call for a Vote of no Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum. After the vote is called, the Senate can remove him from his position. Afterwards, they would elect a new Supreme Chancellor. One who could essentially control the bureaucrats to a certain degree and possibly aid us in dealing with the army of the Trade Federation currently invading our home planet," offered Palpatine while seeing the Queen looking uncertain.

"What is the alternative?" asked the Queen curiously.

"If you do not call for the Vote of No Confidence? You would have to take your case and appeal it before the Courts instead," answered Palpatine and inwardly smirked since he had plenty of the necessary influence there to tangle any decision there for years.

"The Courts take even longer then the Senate," said the Queen since the Jedi had told her much how things worked prior to arriving on Coruscant.

"I'm afraid those are your options my dear. There is no other recourse," said Palpatine while trying to sound sympathetic to her plight given how they were both from the same planet.

Sidious sometimes found it amazing how one who feels nothing for others could sound like he was most gentle heart in the entire Galaxy.

"Those options are not enough Senator. I will find a third option. Even if it is considered questionable by others," stated the Queen with conviction in her voice while Palpatine gave her a "I wish you the best of luck" look before leaving the room.

"The third option your Majesty I believe would be myself and my tactical expertise," said Vader while having listened to the entire conversation in the corner.

"I'm afraid you are correct Lord Vader. The Senate and the Courts are not showing much promise in being reliable for aid as I had first hoped they would," said the Queen while Vader nodded.

"Politics is a dangerous game your Majesty. In order to get the Senate to move in your favor, you must give them a reason to use their resources aid you. What is in it for them to mobilize an entire fleet of ships or army capable and strong enough to repel the Trade Federation? The answer is sadly...nothing. At least, until you do one thing I know your heart does not want to do," replied Vader with the Queen looking at him narrowed eyes.

"And that is?" asked the Queen.

"Play on their fears your Majesty. Play on their fears that if they this leave unchallenged and let the Trade Federation take your planet...that they could be next," answered Vader while the Queen did not like such a tactic.

"Your answer to my problems is indeed questionable," remarked the Queen while Vader walked over to the window to gaze down at the city below.

"Perhaps. But it is the only tactic available to you that the Senator of Naboo did not yet offer to make the Senate answer your call for aid," countered Vader before turning to face her.

"How would this tactic make the Senate act?" asked the Queen with Vader doing a form of pacing he did when thinking on a tactical level.

"If the Senate did nothing, it would set a very bad precedent. One where the Republic does not care about its own worlds it is suppose to protect. It also tells the rest of the Galaxy that any planet with a strong enough army, can invade another planet within the Republic without fear of any kind of reprisal. Either from the Senate itself or the overall governing body of the Republic. In short, any planet with strong financial, and military manpower can do what it wants without being punished for the crime. Sparking a sudden desire to make up new 'territory' as one planet is conquered after another while being influenced under the Senator who has the world invaded. It would only cause further chaos within the Republic and bring about its own self destruction," said Vader with the Queen's eyes widening.

"And you wish for me to use this possibility to make them act against such a precedent," said the Queen while Vader nodded.

"When you stand before the Senate to appeal your case, you _must_ do exactly as I say, and do _NOT_ call for Vote of No Confidence on Supreme Chancellor Valorum," said Vader, as he began to instruct the Queen on what to say before the Senate.

Vader had the ammo and the Queen had the blaster. All that was needed now was for the Sith Lord to make sure the Queen was locked and loaded with the means to point it at the Senate.

In any case, it would be interesting to watch.

(Jedi Temple-At the Moment)

"You left the _Queen_...with the _Sith Lord_?" asked Mace Windu with his tone of voice all but screaming his disapproval and wondering if he heard the two Jedi in this room.

"Yes Master," said Obi-wan while trying to meet the man's fierce gaze.

"Let me repeat this so you can fully understand what I just said Padawan Kenobi. You _left the Queen_ with the _Sith Lord_ ," said Mace Windu while his intense glare at Kenobi only increasing.

"Please Master Windu, do not take your frustration out on Obi-wan. I am equally at fault for not doing more," said Qui-gon while Mace shifted his eyes from Apprentice to Master with the same glare.

"Equal? You are more at fault here Master Jinn. You not only allowed this Sith Lord to remain near the Queen on the ship during your travel here, but also allowed him to take control of certain aspects of your mission" said Mace Windu while Qui-gon winced at the words since they were true.

"It wasn't his fault Master Windu. When we first encountered Darth Vader, we tried to fight him in the belief he was there to kill the Queen. He bested us. Easily," said Obi-wan while Mace did not look impressed and neither did most of the other Jedi Masters in the room.

"So you claim," said Master Poof skeptically.

"Master, I do not take what happened to us lightly. I have not been bested like that since my days as a Padawan under Master Dooku. He could have killed us easily," said Qui-gon while staring at Yoda and seeing the Jedi Grandmaster remained impassive during this discussion.

"Besides, even if we wanted to bring Vader here to the Jedi Temple, the Queen insisted he stay with her for additional protection. She wasn't about to take no for an answer," said Obi-wan knowing that much was true.

"And we couldn't exactly fight him again Master Poof. Not in front the Queen, Senator Palpatine, or the Supreme Chancellor on the landing pad," added Qui-gon knowing an act like that would not end well.

"This Sith Lord needs to be brought in for questioning. The sooner we learn what he knows, the better prepared we are against this hidden Sith Lord hiding from our sight," said Master Mundi with Qui-gon nodding.

"I will talk to him Masters. It will not be easy, but I believe I could convince Vader into having some kind of meeting with you," said Qui-gon though he was skeptical about it.

"Convince him to talk to us you can?" questioned Master Yoda while Qui-gon nodded.

"Despite his dislike of the Jedi Order and Jedi in general, I sense he respects me to some degree. I do not know why, but I sense that he trusts me to some degree," said Qui-gon while the Jedi Masters around him looked skeptical in his assessment of Vader.

"Use that trust to convince him you will Qui-gon. Speak to this Darth Vader you will. Convince him to come here for questioning you must succeed," said Master Yoda with Qui-gon nodding before he decided to switch the topic of discussion.

And talk about what he discovered when they landed on Tatooine.

(Republic Senate Building)

The Republic Senate was the governing body of the Galactic Republic and had been for several thousands years. It was considered the pinnacle of galactic governmental society and the embodiment of what it meant to live in a civilized manner. At the moment, the Republic Senate was filled with hundreds of Senators representing hundreds of planets. Each being called to an emergency session of Congress by the Supreme Chancellor, who had assured the Queen of Naboo she would have her justice in this case.

However, the Queen was not so sure given what Senator Palpatine had told her, and what Vader added following her initial reluctance to use his tactics to get what she needed.

 _Most of the Senators of the Republic are greedy and corrupt. The honest ones are too few and too powerless to help, even if they rallied together. Unless you can offer the corrupt Senators an incentive far greater then if the Trade Federation approached them, you will fail. The Jedi see the corruption, but do nothing. They are puppets. They obey the Will of the Senate over obeying the Will of the Force. They should know better, but have let their own ignorance blind them, and let their arrogant belief in being superior to others simply by using the Force has weakened them considerably. Do not rely on the Jedi to send you the aid needed to best the Trade Federation. Your enemies have powerful friends capable of repelling any_ _ **real**_ _help from them._

Those had been Vader's words. Powerful, but were true nonetheless. She had seen how far her enemies would go to hunt down those they considered threats. Even employing someone like the one Vader fought on Tatooine. Granted, Vader won the fight, but would the same be said if the assassin had fought one or both Jedi assigned to protect her?

It was hard to say.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Gentle beings the Galaxy over. Today we have come before you with the gravest of travesties. One that started here when we taxed all the major trading routes throughout the Republic's outlying star systems. To present our case, I give you Queen Amidala of Naboo," said Senator Palpatine before he stepped aside and let the Queen herself step forward.

"Honorable representatives of the Galactic Republic, I come to you under the gravest of circumstances. The Naboo system has been invaded by the droid armies of the Trade Federation…" said the Queen, but that was as far as she got when her plea was rudely interrupted.

"I object! There is no proof! This is incredible. We recommend a commission be sent to Naboo to ascertain the truth," said Lott Dod, who was the Senator representing the Trade Federation.

"The Senate does not recognize the Senator from the Trade Federation at this time," said Supreme Chancellor Valorum before he was

"The Senator of Malastare agrees with the honorable member of the Trade Federation. A commission must be sent!" declared Senator Aks Moe of Malastare.

By this point, Valorum was pulled away from the podium and was being spoken to by one of his Advisors.

"Enter the bureaucrats. Twisting the law to benefit those they truly serve. They are the real power in the Senate _and_ on the payroll of the Trade Federation. This your Majesty is where Supreme Chancellor Valorum's power _fails_ ," whispered Palpatine into the Queen's ear while Valorum seemed to become submissive to the Will of the advisors around him.

"The motion is sustained. Will you defer your own motion and allow the commission to proceed?" asked Valorum after he submitted to the influence of the Queen's enemies.

"I will not defer. I came for your aid against our sovereignty now! I was not elected just to watch as my people suffer and die while you discussed this in a committee! The army of the Trade Federation is on my planet illegally while imprisoning, torturing, and killing my people to force me into submission!" the Queen shot back angrily at the Supreme Chancellor and it was clear to her that the corruption in the Senate was indeed rampant here.

"We all feel your pain and your plight your Majesty, but as stated by the Senator from the Trade Federation, there is no proof to your accusations. Unless you can provide any form of evidence regarding these accusations against them, the motion will indeed carry, and a commission will have to be made to discuss this further. I will ask you once again Queen Amidala, do you have any such evidence to support your accusations against the Trade Federation at this time?" questioned Valorum while clearly seeing the ever smug look on the Trade Federation's face.

Imagine his shock and the shock of others when the Queen said a few simple words.

"Yes. I do have such proof," said the Queen firmly.

And like that, the silence in the Senate was shattered by the loud roar of all the Senators around her voicing their different opinions on the issue. Some calling to see this evidence the Queen possessed. Others claimed she was lying to further smear the good name of the Trade Federation.

"Order! Order! We will have order!" declared Mas Amedda while secretly glancing at Sidious, who was also genuinely stunned by the fact the woman had proof of the Trade Federations illegal invasion.

Sidious was not expecting this to go the way it did right now. He was expecting the ever naive Queen to place a Vote of no confidence on Chancellor Valorum after seeing just how corrupt the Senate was. He had arranged for one of the Senators in his back pocket to nominate him and use the invasion to get the sympathy vote from the Senators who were not corrupt along with the majority of those who were. Once he was Supreme Chancellor Sidious would spend the next 10 years secretly plotting and planning for the Republic to rip itself in two in order to instigate a massive war that would pave way for his Empire.

But not only did the Queen not cast the vote, but she had proof as well! While Sidious could still play this to his advantage later, he didn't want to wait until Valorum's term was over.

He wanted to be Supreme Chancellor now!

"If you have evidence to prove this accusations are true your Majesty, please show it to us now," said Valorum knowing this would probably be the only time he could use his authority to combat the corruptive element within the Senate.

"Gladly Supreme Chancellor," said the Queen before she held out a data stick kept hidden in her hand and clothing due to the her attire blocking it from view no matter how close they were.

"Where did you get that?" whispered Palpatine while the Queen stayed silent before she inserted it into the system.

"This data stick holds the proof of the invasion of my planet and was obtained during my escape at great risk to those who entrusted me to bring justice down upon the invaders," said the Queen before the lights in the Senate dimmed and a holo-recording from the "eyes" of the Trade Federation battle droid commander began to play.

The holo-recording began to show the battle droid commander marching with its unit through the streets of Naboo with the citizens fleeing in fear. It soon changed to show the images of it walking through the prison encampments where people were placed while other Trade Federation battle droids stood guard. It soon came to the spot where the battle droid commander came face to face with the Viceroy Nute Gunray and what was spoken with his fellow associates.

 _"Round up as many of the citizens on this planet as you can. I want hundreds of them ready for execution before we force the Queen to sign the treaty. Should she refuse to sign it and make our invasion legal, I want them executed one by one before her very eyes. After seeing so many of her people slaughtered, the foolish girl will get on her knees begging to sign it. After she does sign the treaty, we'll have her executed as well,"_ said Viceroy Gunray with his form and voice clear in the recording for all to see and hear.

 _"But won't that raise suspicion. Legal or not, the death of the Queen could make trouble for us in the Senate,"_ said another Nemodian beside the Viceroy.

 _"It mattes not. We have powerful friends in the Senate. A bribe to a Senator here. A 'gift' there. Even an incentive to visit Naboo after we turn it into one of our Pleasure Planets should be enough. We will even give our friends a considerable discount when they are here in order to make any infraction made go away or be ignored. Besides, after we have the Queen is executed, we can make up any plausible story we want, and present it to the Senate with the fake evidence to further back our own claims of innocence,"_ answered the Viceroy with his smug confidence clearly being heard in the recording.

Many in the Senate were furious hearing this blatant confession. Senator Lott Dod was now starting to get extremely nervous and his ally from Malastare was also looking like he was ready to break out in a heavy sweat. Across the way, Darth Sidious was raging inside at how the Viceroy was so easily speaking of his plans to execute Nubian citizens and the Queen herself long after the treaty was signed.

The only good thing so far was that the idiot fool did not mention his _true_ name in this record or anyone else that might be backing the Viceroy. He would need to examine the data stick later after getting it from the Queen following this session. Sidious also made a mental note to contact Maul and give him orders to kill the Viceroy once this whole thing was resolved and the Viceroy was still alive at the end of it.

 _"What of the Jedi? We have not found them yet. If the Republic finds out we tried to kill the Supreme Chancellor's Jedi Ambassadors, we will be thrown in jail for sure!"_ said the Nemodian associate of the Viceroy.

 _"They are no doubt on the planet surface, but it doesn't matter. Not even two Jedi can match the overwhelming strength of our droid army. We will find and kill them both eventually. Maybe even keep their weapons as trophies or sell them for profit on the Black Market. Who knows what one of their weapons is worth to the right buyer with a deep enough credit pouch,"_ said Nute Gunray while his laughter was echoing in the room for all to hear.

 _"Your orders sir?"_ asked the battle droid commander.

 _"What? You are still here?! Go and carry out my orders!"_ bellowed Nute Gunray since he wasn't expecting the droid to just stand there the entire time.

 _"Roger. Roger,"_ said the battle droid commander before it marched about carrying out the command.

The recording soon changed to battle droid commander leading its unit to round up the Nubian populace and even ordering several be shot when they tried to resist. Some of the weak stomach Senators looked ready to lose their expensive lunch from one or more of their stomachs. Others gasped and some fainted at the horror of seeing the battle droids and their assigned battle droid commander carry out their order to capture or kill various members of the Nubian populace.

Soon the image came of the hangar where the droid commander had finished up with its capture of the latest batch of prisoners before it focused on the image of Darth Vader. Even the holo-recording of the Sith Lord was an intimidating sight before showing how the droid commander had easily been dispatched and hitting the wall. But surprisingly the droid did not shut down from the impact right away and had a clear view of the fighting that started before the recording ended.

"And that ladies and gentlemen of the Senate and esteemed Supreme Chancellor, is my proof. Proof that the Trade Federation had _illegally_ invaded my home world without fear of being punished by the Senate or the Republic itself. If you do nothing after what you just witnessed, it will declare throughout the Galaxy an unsettling precedent. One that says any civilization on any world, even _your own world_ can be targeted by the Trade Federation without fear. Is that what you want? If so please remain silent on the issue and show your heartlessness for all here to see with their own eyes!" declared the Queen of Naboo before she glared at the Senator from the Trade Federation currently trying to find some way to spin this in the Trade Federations defense.

And failing.

In an instant, the Senate was in uproar. Calling for sanctions against the Trade Federation and the stripping of their right to have a Senatorial position in the Republic. They were a business conglomerate, not a designated planet, or even representing the Nemodian home world for that matter.

"Order! Order! This Senate will have order!" bellowed Mas Amedda, but even his voice and commanding tone could not silence the roar of the Senate.

With the various outcries that something be done echoing for well over 20 minutes before the Supreme Chancellor had a chance to speak.

"In light of this overwhelming evidence presented by Queen Amidala of Naboo, I call for a vote to create para military army. One capable of successfully liberating the planet of Naboo from the illegal invasion done by the Trade Federation," said Supreme Chancellor Valorum with the Senate instantly rallying to the cause.

All while chanting "Vote now! Vote now! Vote now!" with the Senator from the Trade Federation whimpering at this overwhelming support the Queen from Naboo was getting. Even the Senator from Malastare who seconded his motion was calling for the voting to begin and was ready to vote against the Trade Federation.

"It seems you have your support my Queen," said Palpatine while inwardly seething at how his plan to ascend to Supreme Chancellor was delayed.

How could she have gotten such evidence? Could it have been the Sith Lord. Vader was surely cunning enough. It was clear from what little was seen of Vader's fighting skills in the holo-recording that the man was a warrior type of Sith, but not like the brutish ones that drowned in bloodlust. No. This was a tactical warrior type of Sith. One who could out think as well as outfight his opponents. A dangerous combination. The Jedi had long since abandoned such military tactical thinking. They would have never thought to use the battle droid commander and to access its memory processor for the proof the Queen needed to validate her claim of Naboo being invaded.

Now he would most likely have to most likely wait until Valorum's term was completely over. While Palpatine could still be nominated for appointment as the new Supreme Chancellor, using the invasion of Naboo to get the sympathy vote would nearly be spent by that time. Not that it mattered if he had the sympathy vote or not, the Senators in Sidious's back pocket obtained during his time working the Senate would be given their marching orders soon enough when the time came.

The plan was merely delayed. Not ruined.

"That and more," said the Queen while she made a mental note to thank Vader for the evidence he had provided on the data stick.

"It won't be long now. Of course, even with the para military army supporting you, it will take quite a few weeks if not months to conscript. Decisions on what ships to send? Who is best equipped to use them? How massive a fleet do we need to combat the fleet of the Trader Federation? How much will those fighting and possibly dying to liberate Naboo be paid in compensation for their efforts? The assembling of such a force will take time your Majesty," said Palpatine after they arrived in his senatorial office and she was now staring out the window in thought.

In his mind, Sidious knew he would have to use his influence to make the assembling of the para military army slow to a crawl if necessary.

"I understand Senator. Which is why I will not wait for the army I need to be assembled by the Republic. I have decided to return home and face my enemy there on my terms," said the Queen to the "shocked" look on Palpatine's face.

"But your Majesty, they will force you sign the treaty!" protested Palpatine while the Queen looked unafraid.

"I will sign no treaty Senator. If necessary, my fate will merely be the same as my people should I become their prisoner," said the Queen firmly.

"What will you do?" asked Palpatine in his best "I am concerned for your welfare" voice while hoping to get some insight into her plan in order to possibly counter it.

"Despite what I have done here, I now see the Republic cannot function like I had hoped it would upon my arrival. This is your arena Senator. I must now return to mine," said the Queen before she walked away from Palpatine to make preparations.

Fortunately, in this time of conflict where a battle was imminent, she had someone with a warrior's mind on call, and one the Queen needed to consult. And unlike the Senate, the Queen knew Vader would not be held down by time, and procedures when direct action was the best course of action in this moment.

(Hyperspace-Nubian Transport-Sometime Later)

"This is highly risky your Majesty. If we return to Naboo, there is a chance you will be caught, tortured, and forced to sign the treaty regardless of the support you have gained from the Senate," said Captain Panaka while he didn't want that to happen to her.

"And I can only protect you. I can't fight a war for you. The Jedi Order are keepers of the peace. Not soldiers of war," said Qui-gon while Obi-wan said nothing, but kept his face staring forward.

The two had only barely begun to speak to each other after the deciding moment when the Jedi Council regarded Anakin's fate as a possible Jedi. When they said no, it had been devastating to Qui-gon to see such a strong Force sensitive child be turned away merely due to his age. There had been some instances in the past where they had made exception for possible candidates even older the Anakin. It had made no sense. Not to mention the boy was clearly the Chosen One the Jedi Prophecy foretold. He had sensed it from the boy and yet the Jedi still said no. It didn't make sense to him.

Not only that, but Anakin himself at the time looked like someone had just trampled on his spirit without so much as an apology.

It didn't help that Vader's prediction of what the Jedi would do had come true. The Sith Lord had warned Qui-gon not to get his initial hopes up with the Jedi Order accepting the boy due to his age or the attachment Anakin had with his Mother. When Qui-gon asked why Vader would try to help Anakin become a Jedi instead of a Sith, the semi-masked man let out a chuckle before becoming serious.

 _The boy has potential. Why would I wish for it to be denied? As for my reasons for not training him myself, the best person to help him reach his potential is you Jedi. Not me. Not the hidden Sith lying in wait plotting your Order's destruction. His destiny lies with you. Only you. If the Jedi do not accept him into the Order, you must claim the boy as your new apprentice, or if necessary...leave the Jedi Order to train the child in your own way._

And Vader was right. No sooner had the Jedi Council said no to Anakin's admittance did Qui-gon act to claim the boy as his new Padawan to get the boy in. It was a nice little law in the Jedi Order that if a Master chose a Force sensitive child as their Padawan, the child was automatically a young or Padawan of the Order. Slightly behind him at the time, his current Padawan Obi-wan Kenobi had not been happy about that action performed in the Council Chambers. Even when Qui-gon wished for Obi-wan to take the necessary Jedi Knight Trials, it seemed to an outside observer that the Jedi Master was seeking to make way to achieve his directive in claiming Anakin as his Jedi Padawan.

Hence why the two Jedi were not speaking to each other much right now.

As for Vader, he was also in the room waiting for his turn to speak since he recalled this moment in time well despite the fact things had now changed. For now, the Queen would hear the worriers and the words of caution spoken by those with so called wisdom. It was sheer arrogance on the Jedi Order's part to send these two the first time around when the evidence of Maul being marked as the return of the Sith in Vader's timeline was clear as day. Why just send these two Jedi to protect the Queen? Why not send more Jedi? Master Windu maybe? Or perhaps Master Mundi? They didn't have any major cases at the time and could have aided Qui-gon and Obi-wan in liberating Naboo.

It just further proved the arrogance of the Jedi back in his timeframe and the Jedi Order in this new one he was making. Even now, they were just going to sit back while these two Jedi protected the Queen, and wait for Sidious to make his move in the hopes the man would reveal himself. They never considered Maul would be dispatched in his place in order to throw them off.

Fools. The lot of them.

"Lord Vader, I need your advice on how you feel we should proceed," said the Queen while Vader nodded and approached the woman with respect.

"Your Majesty, while you have myself, the Jedi, and the people of Naboo ready to fight when given the command, it will sadly not be enough. In order to defeat the army of the Trade Federation, you will need an army of your own. One made up of warriors who are willing fight and die for their planet and the belief that they would prefer to die free over that of living as slaves. While the Nubian people would fight and die for their planet, they do not have the means to arm themselves for the inevitable battle with the army of the Trade Federation. You will need more," said Vader with the Queen nodding and turned to look at Jar Jar Binks.

"Jar Jar Binks, step forward," commanded the Queen.

"Mesa your Majesty?" asked Jar Jar with the Queen nodding.

"You told my handmaiden that the Gungan people are fighters. Warriors. And they have an army ready to fight, correct?" questioned the Queen with Jar Jar nodding.

"Yesa your Majesty. Gungans are proud warriors. When in trouble, we go to sacred place to hide and plan. Mesa show you!" exclaimed Jar Jar while the Queen nodded.

"Good. Please do. I wish to meet the leader of your people to help repel a common enemy we both share," said the Queen.

"I wise course your Majesty. But an army without a strategy to use them is just us having a large pile of soon to be dead bodies to command. A plan must be devised if we are to ensure complete victory over our enemies much larger army," said Vader knowing the station above could easily replace the droid army on the ground through their small yet still effective droid manufacturing system in it.

"Which is why I have you to help prepare our strategy after the alliance is made," said the Queen while Vader nodded before he departed from the room to prepare his strategy.

(Coruscant-At the Moment)

 _"You want me to kill who?"_ came the female voice on the encrypted comm. channel Sidious was using.

"A Sith Lord named Darth Vader my dear. He is traveling with the Queen of Naboo to her home planet to free it from the Trade Federations blockade. He is a threat to my plans," said Sidious to the female assassin on the other line.

 _"Oh? Since when do Sith Lords kill other Sith Lords?"_ asked the female assassin while Sidious's eyes narrowed.

"Be careful what you say in front of me assassin. This Sith Lord can kill you with a flick of his wrist right here and now," threatened Sidious while the assassin smirked.

 _"And lose a valuable asset? We both know not even you would go that far. Not when my services are clearly last minute,"_ said the woman on the other line and Sidious scowled further.

"Be as that may, this enemy should be a good test of your skills. Add in two Jedi into the affair should be enough to interest you," replied Sidious while the woman on the other line scowled now.

 _"You should have started with the offer for killing the Jedi first. I love to kill Jedi. It is a pleasure beyond measure for me. Double the payment to kill the Sith Lord and I'll kill the Jedi for free,"_ said the female assassin eagerly.

"Done. Head to Naboo. My apprentice will either be fighting Vader or the Jedi. Whoever he doesn't fight first, you get to kill the other in his place," said Sidious with the female assassin smirking.

 _"So I either get paid for killing a Sith Lord or I get to enjoy the_ _ **ecstasy**_ _of killing not one, but two Jedi. Either way I win,"_ said the female assassin before she ended the connection.

"Wrong my dear assassin. No matter what happens here, _I_ will win. You are just a pawn. A piece on the board that I have to play early on. But considering my situation with this Sith Lord, I need to use what tools I can spare for this particular mission. Considering your own history with the Jedi Order, this will only help me in the long run...Aurra Sing," said Sidious while he smirked knowing the crazed Jedi hating woman would be a useful in killing the two Jedi and maybe even Vader if he was weakened enough from fighting Maul.

There was also the chance that even if Maul survived his encounter with Vader, he would go after Aurra Sing herself. Not that he cared. One way or another, Maul would die, and Sidious would be able to wipe his hands clean of his so called apprentice in order to focus on a far more impressive prize worth his time in the near future.

Anakin Skywalker.

(With Aurra Sing)

Aurra Sing leaned back in her chair, the combat boots she wore were now on the ship's console while she thought about what Sidious was offering. An massive sum of credits for the head of a Sith Lord. To think another one was out there walking around without fear of being attacked. She had felt him through the Force and damn near tripped over herself when sensing his presence. Vader's strength in the Force was that of a monster unlike anything she ever felt before today in its cosmic presence. She had been around her fair share of Jedi and other Force sensitives, but this Sith Lord she was hired to kill had blown them out of the water.

She almost wished he was a Jedi and achieve the ultimate thrill in killing him for the sheer fun of it. Still, killing a Sith Lord was a rarity unto itself. Her current client being one, but choosing to keep his location a secret in case she decided to hold it over him. Not that she would. At least not until her life was in a really threatened to the point where such information would save it from annihilation.

One Sith in hiding and the other out in the open. Polar opposites of their Order and one was trying to kill the other. Not only that, but the Sith sent his rabid animal Maul to fight Vader again. Aurra almost laughed at that. Maul besting Vader. Unlikely. Vader was no doubt skilled with a Lightsaber as he was strong in the Force. Maul may have a double bladed Lightsaber, but there was always a considerable chance Vader had the skills to defeat even _that_ particular type of weapon.

'And let's not forget the Jedi on Naboo,' thought Aurra with a smile on her face at the thought of killing two Jedi doing their sacred duty in protecting its Queen.

From the Intel that her Sith client was so _generous_ to provide, it was a Jedi Master and his ever so loyal Padawan. While she would have preferred to fight two Masters or one Master and a Knight, this suited her needs perfectly. She would bath in the blood of these Jedi and do it in front of the Queen herself. Hell, she might just shoot the Queen right in her royal head just to keep the sensation of the aftermath alive.

Afterwards, she would go after Vader. Provided Maul didn't beat her to the punch. Even if he somehow bested Vader in battle, Aurra wasn't going to let Maul enjoy his victory. The bounty hunter/assassin got the impression her Sith client was not happy with Maul and would pay her extra to take his head too.

It would be one Hell of a blood bath.

(With Vader)

Vader frowned. The Force was with him as it always was and his angry mood reflected it during his mediation on the Nubian ship. It was clear to him that Sidious had added a new piece to the board to further ensure he got what he wanted from this mission. Whether to see Vader dead or the Jedi in his place, it didn't matter. Sidious was going to play a hand where he would win no matter what the outcome. Even the failure to do both was a win for Sidious since the inevitable fight with Maul would result in the Zabrak's death, which was something the Sith Lord wanted when sent to Naboo.

Vader would have to make sure the victory Sidious wanted was bitter sweet. Emphasis on the bitter.

But this new piece on the board was new and the Force told him it wouldn't interfere with his fight with Maul. While the Jedi were blinded by the Dark Side, Vader was not since he used the Dark Side, and its power to see through the Veil cast over the Galaxy by his former Master. As such, his conversation with Aurra Sing was not as private as the old man would like to believe. Sidious may have used the latest and most highly advanced encrypted communication technology to speak to his new pawn, but one could not hide such things with the Force.

Especially since Vader new the "cipher" needed to see through the Dark Side masking Sidious's Dark Side presence from everyone.

The question now was, how to draw Aurra Sing over to him instead of targeting the Jedi while he fought Maul? If he fought Maul, it was clear Aurra would go after the two Jedi to get that erotic sensation she received when killing them (results of the experimentation done to her) when caught in her crosshairs. Vader knew she was highly skilled and knew she had quite a few Jedi kills under her belt. As such, the odds of her succeeding were much better then the usual assassin since Aurra herself was also Force sensitive, and was known to have her own Lightsaber.

A red one of course.

If Vader let the Jedi fight Maul, the would-be Sith would once again kill Qui-gon in their fight, which left Anakin Skywalker in a precarious position. It would practically become a repeat of history all over again. Obi-wan take Anakin as an apprentice out of obligation to Qui-gon, Dooku turned Sith Lord, and almost everything that originally would have happened during the Clone Wars happens.

With Sidious winning as the end result.

No. The end result had to be both Maul and Aurra Sing dead while the Jedi protected Padme when she made her way to the throne room to confront the Viceroy. In order to do that, he would need to lure one and trick the other before fighting both. Maul wouldn't be difficult to lure or trick. The animal wanted to fight him again. His bloodlust was easy to sense and was waiting for him on Naboo with eager anticipation. Aurra Sing would not be so easy since she wanted to kill the Jedi first before coming after him and also because she wanted him weakened from his fight with Maul to ensure the odds of survival went up.

'We'll see about that,' thought Vader knowing the bait Aurra Sing, you have to give her something of worth taking.

And he had it in the form of... _pain_!

(With Aurra Sing)

She had felt the connection through the Force almost instantly and the mental attack just as fast with the dark presence smashing against her mental shields. Breaking them with ease and attacking her warped mind with painful images of the past. Images she had long since suppressed or tried to forget. Even using the damn bio computer in her brain those bastards put in her head to help keep the past buried. But this surprise mental attack had nearly fried it and Aurra screamed out in sheer agony, rolling around on the floor of her ship, partially thanking herself for setting the course on auto-pilot earlier so she could prepare herself for the slaughter that was to come on Naboo. She tried to fight against the sudden intrusion and violation of her mind, but Aurra was no match for the power, and the Will behind the attack.

 _You think you are something terrifying Aurra Sing? You think you are something special in the world of bounty hunters and assassins? You are nothing. Nothing, but whimpering, pathetic little child, who was abandoned by her Mother, and later experiment on like a laboratory research specimen. That is what you are to the Galaxy. You are a scientific abomination. It is no wonder the Jedi abandoned you. They saw the ugliness in you and tried to remove it as one removes a stain. But they failed and realized you_ _ **are**_ _a stain. No one wants you. No one loves you. No one wants to be near you because you are a crude piece of living flesh that should have been put down years ago. Disgusting creature._

The taunting words assaulting her mind as the attacks slowly stopped bit deep into Aurra Sing's soul like a ravenous beast. She knew it was Vader who attacked her due to his dark Force presence being unmistakable. Only he would be so bold at this point to attack her in such a manner. To provoke her into focusing on him and only him over that of the two Jedi she wanted to kill for the sake of pleasure.

Only now, Aurra Sing wanted to kill Vader more not just for the sake of her profession, but on a personal level for what he had just done to her. She had screamed, cried out in pain, even to her own humiliation, had resorted to begging for the Sith to stop. She had cried, whimpered, and curled up into a ball like a frightened child while Vader's mocking tone echoed in the back of skull. It took some time for Aurra to regain her mental footing and seethed in rage at being mocked, tortured, and laughed at by this Sith Lord.

Forget killing the two Jedi first. Forget what her client was paying her. Aurra Sing vowed she would kill Vader the moment she saw him. It would be slow. Painfully slow. Make him beg for death by the time Aurra was done with him. And after she killed Vader, the Zabrak would be next, if he wasn't already dead. After they were gone, she would kill the Jedi, the Queen, the handmaidens, her security detail, and anyone else that got in her way.

She would make the Galaxy fear her name from this one incident alone.

Vader wanted her to target him? Fine! She would come after him and show the arrogant Sith what it meant to cross Aurra Sing!

(Naboo-Gungan Sacred Place)

Darth Vader watched as the united front of Nubians and Gungans were working together to defeat the common enemy that was the Trade Federation. After the alliance was made between both parties, Vader had explained to everyone the mechanics behind how the battle droids worked. He explained that the station sends a signal down to the planet to all the battle droids and provides them the means to function. Without the station, the droids would shut down entirely with a simple push causing them to fall over.

They _could_ wait for the Republic to amass a needed fleet to engage the Trade Federation in space, per the naive suggestion of Obi-wan Kenobi, but Vader countered saying they couldn't wait. If the Viceroy got wind of the Republic's plans, and he would, Naboo's enemy would seek to escape to a planet he owned, but was not in Republic space. The Viceroy could easily play the waiting game until an opportunity presented itself to get his desired revenge on the Queen. Hiring bounty hunters or assassins to kill the Queen, even long after her term was up and killing everyone associated with the woman. If they were going to defeat Viceroy...it had to be now!

"You are enjoying this, aren't you Lord Vader?" said Obi-wan to Vader with a hint of accusation in his tone.

"What do you mean?" asked Vader while Obi-wan glaring at him.

"The conflict. The impending death. The pain and suffering. How can a Sith _not_ enjoy it," said Obi-wan while Vader glanced at him.

"There is nothing to enjoy here Jedi. Our side is about to lose lives while the opposition is an army of near mindless battle droids, each constructed using only the cheapest of parts and programming software made by the lowest bidder. All of which has been bought and paid for by an arrogant tightfisted Viceroy. Now if it was just the Viceroy and myself in a room about to fight while he was shaking in fear, things might be far more satisfying to me," said Vader while the memory of the Viceroy on Mustafar begging him for mercy and being slain by his hands manifested itself in his mind.

It was a _very_ satisfying memory.

"We need the Viceroy alive. He will be given a trial and be sentenced by the courts," said Obi-wan firmly while Vader wondered how naive this man could possibly be after what had happened in the Senate.

Or the way Senators acted in the Senate during past proceedings.

'It went so well the last time that happened,' thought Vader to himself while remembering how Sidious used his influence to prevent Nute Gunray from being thrown in jail.

Various loopholes, bribes to high ranking people, and "lack of real evidence" despite the everything to the contrary. When everything was presented to the Republic Courts in the previous timeline, everyone was certain Gunray was going to pay for his crimes. How can you dispute the evidence of battle droids on Naboo? Or the people suffering in camps and testifying?

Only for the stunted slime to get away without so much as a single jail sentence! It would take over a decade to give that smug fool the punishment he rightfully deserved. Nothing defined the term justice more in that moment when slaying Gunray then slicing the fool in half with his Lightsaber after begging for his life.

He was going to enjoy repeating that moment in time.

"It might not be so simple as you believe Obi-wan. Even if we arrest the Viceroy, he will no doubt have powerful friends in the shadows using their influence to help him. It is clear that the corruption within the Senate runs deep. Had the Queen not presented the evidence collected by Lord Vader, I imagine certain things would be different right now," said Qui-gon, who surprised his Padawan by coming to Vader's defense.

"Master, you can't be serious?!" questioned a shocked Obi-wan while Vader let out an amused chuckle.

"The only one not taking this seriously, is you Jedi," said Vader before walking away to focus on something that caught his attention.

Namely his childhood self.

"Ani, you shouldn't be going with them," pleaded Shimi while Anakin looked ready to join in on the plan to storm the palace.

"But I have to go! I can feel it. Something is telling me to go with them," pleaded Anakin with his Mother looking lost on what to do with him.

"Is there a problem Lady Skywalker?" asked Vader gently while approaching the two.

"Oh! Lord Vader, I'm sorry if we have been making too much noise. We apologize," said Shimi while feeling she knew this man in some way, but couldn't put her finger on it.

His usually harsh eyes seemed to soften slightly when they stared right at her.

"Don't apologize Lady Skywalker. If more parents worried over their young offspring like you do, the Galaxy would be a better place for it," said Vader, glancing at the boy before focusing on Shimi.

"I have to go with Master Qui-gon and the others. I keep telling her, but she says it is too dangerous," said Anakin while hoping the Sith Lord would understand.

"Ordinarily I would agree with your Mother on this one, child. But given your connection to the Force you may have to go. As if compelled. Do you know why?" questioned Vader since he never understood it back in his time as a child, but perhaps hearing it from his younger self would help understand the motivation for flying at this moment in his life.

"I don't know. But I can feel it. Through the Force I think. It speaks to me. Like when I'm in a pod racer. It is telling me to go with all of you to the palace and help in some way. To be there when everything important happens," said Anakin while Vader nodded since he had felt the same way himself.

"The Force has a Will of its own child. It tells us things. Whispers things. Warns us of the dangers that seek to harm us or those we care about. It helps guides to us to do something important whether we know it or not. If the Force does speak to you in this manner young Skywalker, it would be prudent to obey such a feeling. Provided you can stay safe in the background while everyone else is fighting," said Vader while seeing Shimi looking even more uncomfortable with this situation, which was understandable to the Sith Lord.

Pod racing was one thing. Throwing yourself into the middle of an all out battle, if not war for a planet's future was another matter entirely.

"I still don't like this," whispered Shimi with worry.

"Don't worry Mom. I'll stay away from the fighting and hide where its safe. Plus, we have Qui-gon and Obi-wan helping us," said Anakin while pointing to the two Jedi with the said Jedi glancing in their direction.

One was curious and one was suspicious in regards to what the Sith Lord was talking to them about.

"In any case Lady Skywalker, your son will not come to harm on this mission. I sense he will surprisingly be a great asset in the near future when needed most," said Vader before giving them a bow and leaving them to talk.

"He's up to something," said Obi-wan with Qui-gon observing Vader.

"Sith Lords usually are up to something Obi-wan. Always on the move. Still, I sense no deception. No malice in his intentions toward the boy. Only the opposite. As if...he cares for them," said Qui-gon with Obi-wan shaking his head.

"A Sith caring for someone? Unlikely," remarked Obi-wan while watching the Sith Lord carefully.

"We have other things to worry about Obi-wan. Like the other presence we sensed just now entering the planet's orbit on the other side of the palace," remarked Qui-gon while his Padawan grabbed his head like a headache was forming.

"Whoever it is, they are strong in the Force. Not as strong as Maul or Vader, but no less threatening. In fact, its almost familiar," said Obi-wan while wondering who it was they were sensing.

"Aurra Sing," said Qui-gon knowingly.

"What?! Her? But why is she here?!" asked Obi-wan since he knew Aurra had killed quite a few Jedi and was not someone you crossed no matter how skilled you were.

"I suspect the Sith Lord in hiding sent her. And I think it has something to do with our own Sith Lord being here causing problems for the Trade Federation," surmised Qui-gon while Vader stared in the direction of the Nubian palace with great interest.

"Meaning she is an ally of Maul," commented Obi-wan while Qui-gon shaking his head.

"No. I don't think so Obi-wan. At least...not fully. I sense...a rising level of anger in her. A level of...hatred, bloodlust, and a desire to see Vader dead. Why she wants that above all things...I don't know," said Qui-gon while sensing Aurra's various emotions even from here.

She was angry. Filled with hate. A fury had been awakened in her by something or rather _someone_ provoking it. But why would Vader provoke her? What reasons did the Sith Lord have for provoking such a dangerous Force sensitive assassin? One responsible for killing so...many...Jedi!

"Master?" asked Obi-wan when sensing his Master's emotions shift from shocked to that of understanding.

"Its nothing Obi-wan. Just understanding the tactics of our polar opposite in the Force," said Qui-gon before walking away to talk to the Queen while Obi-wan glanced from him to Vader and followed his Master.

To think the woman had disguised herself among her own handmaidens and fooled them all...with the exception of Vader. He didn't look surprised in the slightest. It was as if he had always known the truth, but kept quiet to keep up the deception.

What else was the Sith Lord hiding from them?

(Nubian Palace)

Maul snarled at Aurra Sing. How he loathed anyone trying to take his targets from him. It was bad enough Vader made him look so weak and pathetic when they dueled, but now this assassin was here to _help_ him kill his enemies. He did not need help! It was an insult! An insult to his pride! To his skills! To this title as a Sith!

The _only_ reason Maul did not slice the woman in half right now with his Lightsaber was due to his Master commanding it. He had informed Maul in advance of Aurra Sing would be heading to the planet to _help_ him combat Vader and the Jedi. Maul wanted to protest the decision, but the snarl from his Master, and the glare that followed shut the Zabrak up completely. Sidious was his Master and defying him now would only result in agonizing pain when this was over.

So for now, Maul would do what his Master _commanded_ of him. But when this was over and his enemies were dead all around him, the Sith would slay Aurra Sing simply out of spite for the woman being apart of his kills. Maul knew deep down that the act of killing the assassin would not hurt Sidious on any level given his own experiences with how his Master treated others.

But damn would it feel really good when it was all over.

"They are moving toward us. The Sith is mine. You can kill the two Jedi," said Maul to Aurra Sing while the woman snarled with anger.

"Not a chance. That Sith Lord needs to be pay for attacking me like he did. The Jedi will not interest me until after this Darth Vader is brought down and dead. If you get in my way, I will kill you," threatened Aurra while Maul looked back with his hate and very primal instincts clawing at the back of his skull.

It was almost a shame in Maul's mind that she was this way with him. The woman would have made a suitable mate to carry his own offspring. Unfortunately, Aurra Sing was, at the moment, _almost_ standing in the way of his kills, his desire for revenge, and was being extremely disrespectful by talking back to him.

"I'm going to enjoy bathing in your blood when this is over _assassin_ ," threatened Maul while hearing the battle going on outside of the palace.

"Funny, I could say the same to you _Sith_ ," remarked Aurra while watching from their hidden position as the Nubian resistance fought led by two Jedi and one Sith Lord tore through the army of battle droids.

It was almost time.

(With the Nubian Resistance)

Vader savagely sliced through the battle droids like they were nothing. Which was easy because they were nothing. Years of experience, skill, training, and other things made his work on them seem incredibly easy. While the two Jedi were passive aggressive in their advancement and fighting the battle droids at their own pace, Vader was just aggressive. After the speeder with the blaster turret fire to gain the attention of the enemy, the Sith Lord made his move. Redirection one blaster shot from the battle tank back at the battle tank and the other one he crushed with ease using the Dark Side of the Force. He threw the crushed tank in its now ball form into a large group of battle droids taking cover from the Nubian resistance fighters shooting at them.

And he didn't once lose his stride.

That simple fact alone was something quite few of the people behind him still couldn't believe even after seeing it.

Eventually, the group made their way to the hangar bay, where upon entering, they were met with much more resistance. Vader skillfully cut a path through the droids in his way in order for the pilots to get to the fighters and fly toward the droid battle station above them. When the Droidekas rolled into the position knew blaster bolts from their weapons wouldn't penetrate the energy shield they had. At the moment, they were firing on them and had killed quite a few of the Queen's group.

Behind the Sith Lord, Anakin Skywalker had just gotten into a Nubian fighter, the ever faithful R2D2 with him, and within seconds the two were flying off into space.

After blasting the Droidekas to pieces.

'That brings back memories,' thought Vader with a smirk before he walked with the group toward the doors that would lead them to the fastest route toward the throne room.

Only for them to open and Darth Maul appeared in all of his terrifying Sith glory staring at them with his eyes burning with hatred. Aurra Sing was also there, blaster rifle in hand, aimed at the group, and a snarl on her face.

"We'll handle this," commented Qui-gon while he and Obi-wan walked forward.

"No. You won't. This fight is mine. Stay with the Queen," said Vader while he walked in front of both Jedi and gave Padme a "trust me" stare.

"We'll go the long way," said Padme while she and the others went around with the Jedi reluctantly following.

"You should have kept the help Vader. Now your death is assured," remarked Aurra Sing with confidence in her voice.

"By your hands? You couldn't even a mental attack from me. And I wasn't even using my full power. What makes you think facing me in open combat will be any different?" said Vader while Maul removed his Sith robes and unclipped his Lightsaber on both sides in an attempt to intimidate his opponent.

"Enough talking. Its time to see which Sith here will have the privilege of survival," said Maul while Vader smirked.

"Indeed," said Vader before he effortlessly crushed Aurra's blaster rifle to keep her from using it.

"You think I need a blaster rifle to kill you? Fool! I was once trained by the Jedi. I have fought Jedi. I have _killed_ Jedi. Killing you will be just as easy and a lot more satisfying," said Aurra before she pulled out her own Lightsaber and ignited the red blade.

"And you are even bigger fool. If you knew who and what I really was, if you only knew the truth of what I am...you would run. Run and never look back," said Vader coldly his own Lightsaber was activated and his red blade came out.

"And what are you exactly? Besides, a soon to be rotting corpse?" taunted Aurra Sing while she snarled at him and saw him remove the Sith robes from his body.

" _Death_!" whispered Vader while the Dark Side seemed to explode around like a monster rising to its full height.

"Not this day," said Maul with his voice sounding raw simply from feeling the Dark Side coming from his opponent.

Aurra was no better. She was sweating now and felt her confidence dwindling. While she was skilled in fighting with a Lightsaber, her skills were not that of a Jedi Knight or the level of a Jedi Master. She preferred sniping or shooting over using the ancient weapon to not only spite the Jedi when killing them, but to keep those painful memories of her time as a Jedi apprentice at bay.

With a roar like an animal, Maul charged first, spinning his Lightsaber in an aggressive fashion that allowed the weapon to kill with such ruthlessness. His bloodlust and hate from channeling the Dark Side of the Force clashed with Vader's own. But it did little to push Vader back, as the man had long since perfected his skills to the point where he was a solid wall of near unmovable power. No matter how agile or skilled Maul was with the double bladed Lightsaber, he was no match for Vader's seemingly impenetrable defense.

And it only infuriated Maul when Vader pushed him back with easy before he went on the offensive against the Zabrak. Even when Aurra tried to flank Vader, the Sith Lord surprised them both when he unclipped, and ignited a _second_ Lightsaber.

The one he took from Maul on Tatooine.

"You dare use what is mine?!" demanded Maul before he and Aurra were dancing around Vader in an intricate battle of death before they all locked blades again.

"You lost the right to wield this Lightsaber when you first lost to me back on that desert planet, animal," said Vader, as he forced the fighting out of the hanger to ward the plasma generator, and put both his enemies on the defensive.

Maul found his room to maneuver was decreasing. Aurra also found herself in a similar situation when the Zabrak leaped backward to land on another platform. This left Aurra to fight Vader alone, which the assassin cursed Maul for doing, and had to fight the Sith Lord wielding to Lightsabers to her one. It didn't help that Vader was apparently skilled in the art of wielding two. Aurra never fought anyone who wielded two Lightsabers until today. Jedi rarely ever used two Lightsabers these days just as they no longer used double bladed ones since it was too "aggressive" from what the Jedi thought of them these days.

So it was no wonder that Aurra not only lost her Lightsaber after it was cut through by a well timed strike by Vader. She tried to gain some distance from him, but the Sith Lord would not have it. He pulled Aurra toward him before he slice through one of her arms, followed by a leg, and expertly executed spin strike with both Lightsabers severing her head.

Aurra Sing would not be killing Jedi, common people, or high ranked politicians ever again after this.

Turning to face Maul, Vader saw the animal did not care for Aurra Sing's death. In fact, he seemed pleased by it. Vader suspected the fool would have tried to kill her after the fighting was over simply to prove himself superior. Not that it mattered, Vader had no intention of losing against one or both of them. With Aurra Sing no longer in the equation here, Vader could focus entirely on Maul, and end him like he should have been from the start.

But first, he wanted to up the Zabrak one more time. To really make the animal foam at the mouth. And Vader knew just how to do it. With ease, Vader slowly dismantled the double bladed Lightsaber in his hand, watching as Maul's face got angry again, and his eyes narrowed in fury at the humiliation of having his weapon taken apart. Even worse, the crystals inside were taken out and pocketed within Vader's clothing. This was done by Vader to not only infuriate Maul, but he intended to use the crystals themselves to make backup Lightsabers since he still had a habit of losing or destroying them. These crystal were synthetic, which made them easier to make, and more powerful to use. Personally, Vader preferred the natural Force attuned kyber crystals since they felt more in harmony with the Force.

But he wasn't about to abandon this opportunity to have such a potential resource at his side and _NOT_ use it. That would be foolish and stupid.

Speaking of foolish and stupid people, Maul was waiting for him now in anticipation of a fight on his terms. The man wasn't about to give up his position to Vader and Vader had learned the hard way what it means to leap over someone with a Lightsaber to take the high ground.

His duel on Mustafar with Obi-wan had taught him _a lot_ in that regard.

So with that in mind, Vader walked to the edge of the floor where the large gap between him and Maul kept the two from fighting. Maul knew he had an advantage right now and was waiting for Vader to make the jump in order to slice the Sith Lord in half. Of course, Vader wasn't about to make the same mistake twice, and decided on a different course of action.

He used the Force to break off a piece of the ground underneath him and floated over the gap toward a now shocked Maul. Before the Zabrak could do anything, Vader used the Force to shove Maul back 15 feet. With his enemy now further back, Vader landed on the long single road in front of him, and casually walked forward toward the Zabrak. Maul of course had decided to kick up off the ground and charge him with the intent to let the full potential of his double bladed Lightsaber be brought down on his foe.

Sadly for Maul, Lightsaber Form V: Shien/Djem So was the perfect form to use against him, and Vader was an uncontested Master of it. Within a matter of seconds, Maul went from offense to defense, spinning his Lightsaber on both ends try knocking Vader back. But the Sith Lord was anything if not persistent and kept pushing the Zabrak back further into the heart of the plasma generator room. The two kept going deeper into the heart of the main reactor until they were impeded by an energy wall and gave both warriors a few minutes of reprieve.

Or rather Maul was given a reprieve. He was sweating heavy from using so much energy in trying to kill Vader and yet Vader himself did not look winded in the slightest. It was unnerving to the Zabrak. He trained relentlessly everyday! His overall speed, strength, and stamina was high even for Zabrak standards. So for him to be exhausted, yet Vader didn't have so much as a single bead of sweat coming down his face. How could this Sith not be exhausted? How could he not be slightly tired? How could this Darth Vader just stand there looking bored as if the fight was nothing to him?

It was infuriating Maul to no end!

"How? How are you this strong?" asked Maul while Vader just stood there.

"As I told you before anima, it is because you don't know what it means to hate," replied Vader while Maul snarled.

"So you say, but there is more to it then you are telling me," said Maul while the signs of the energy wall separating them began to shut down.

"Indeed. And I see no point in telling you. One cannot teach dead men," replied Vader before the energy wall went down and the two began to fight once more.

"I will not lose to you. I cannot lose. I am the future of the Sith!" exclaimed Maul after he barely leaped out of the way of an attack by Vader.

It cost him one part of his Lightsaber though. Fortunately, he still had the other side that was functioning properly. One of the rare benefits of a double bladed Lightsaber though it all depended where the damage was done to the weapon.

"You have no future," remarked Vader before he pressed the attack and not giving Maul time to dodge or use his agility to escape his onslaught.

No. This would end now! This would end with Maul dead by his hands. Unlike Obi-wan, he would not assume Maul was dead after being sliced in half at the waist. Obi-wan had confessed to him during the end of the Clone Wars how Maul had not died on Naboo. At the time, Anakin Skywalker provided comfort to his Master. But now as Vader, the Sith Lord saw Obi-wan's actions were those of a fool who should have looked for the body instead of just assuming.

Jedi nor Sith should assume _anything_ when wanting an enemy they really wanted killed above all others. Not until they did the act instead of relying on the subordinate to do it.

As for Maul, he was almost driven down to his knees with the powerful blows Vader was hitting him with right now. While strong given his Zabrak physiology, Vader was able to simply overpower him, and it was mind boggling. To be bested by another Sith Lord not his Master, possibly stronger then his Master in the Dark Side, and skilled in the ways of combat.

'I was wrong about Vader. About myself. He is not a heretic. I am not the future. _HE_ is the future,' thought Maul for the last time before Vader got through his defense, sliced off both his arms at the elbow before spinning slice took his head from his body.

'You are next Sidious. It won't be now. It won't be tomorrow. It won't even be for another 10 years, but when the time comes...you will die!' thought Vader knowing Sidious was going to seek out a new apprentice, if only a temporary one to help him prepare, and help with the Clone Wars until Anakin Skywalker was ready to take the apprentice's place.

Count Dooku came to mind. Though at the moment, the man was still a Jedi Master so there was still time to keep the man from being pulled into Sidious's grasp. There were also other players he would need to obtain in the next 10 years to prepare for the Clone Wars and the violence that was to come. But for change to happen, for the prophecy to happen, and for Anakin Skywalker to get the happiness he deserved that others denied him in the previous time line...Vader would have to take control of the Clone Wars to some degree.

And he knew just how to do it.

(A/N: YAY! A super long chapter. I just kept writing this and couldn't stop. Hope you all like this. Until next time...PEACE!)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4-Gathering and Plans

The celebration on Naboo didn't look to be slowing down in the slightest. People were still dancing in the streets. The parade held for all those who fought to liberate the planet from the Trade Federation stretched on from one end of the street to the next. Gungans and Nubians alike were united under a banner of peace with a promise of prosperity for years to come between them. A new age where all benefited and intended to joy for as long as they lived.

The only one not celebrating with everyone...was Darth Vader.

He was in the palace watching from the window several stories above them and thought back to how things had played out. Maul was dead. Aurra Sing was dead. Two pawns of Sidious were no more. Aurra Sing was a future pawn of Sidious during and following the Clone Wars when the Empire came to power with the hunt for remaining Jedi started. She had killed quite a few of them when Jedi were being hunted by the Empire, himself, and anyone willing to go after them for a reward.

The Viceroy was killed when one of the stray blaster bolts shot from a battle droid was reflected back from Obi-wan's Lightsaber at Gunray with the shot hitting him right in the forehead. By the time the Queen, her team, and the Jedi defeated all the battle droids, the tightfisted bureaucrat of the Trade Federation was long since dead. Only his second in command remained and already he had confessed much of his and the Viceroy's past action to the Jedi in their connection to Darth Sidious.

It was for the best since Sidious would no doubt end the alien's life as quickly as possible before the Jedi stumbled upon his true identity. Not that the Viceroy's second new it and was kept even farther at length from Sidious then the Viceroy himself. Still, giving the Jedi the Sith Lord's name would definitely keep them on their toes hunting for Vader's former Master.

As for the battle station above orbit, Anakin Skywalker had saved the day as Vader knew he would, and wondered what his Mother would think of him doing such an insane thing. He hoped his Mother wouldn't be too upset with his child form for doing what the Force had commanded of him and doing the seemingly impossible at such a young age. The boy would soon be initiated into the Jedi Order. Vader knew the original answer by them was no, but Obi-wan was scheduled to become a Jedi Knight after using his body as a shield at the last moment to save Padme's double from being hit by a blaster bolt in his right shoulder.

They would make anyone a Jedi Knight for the simplest things. Save a Queen's double and you get advancement. Yet lead a clone army into the depths of Hell itself with battle droids aiming to kill you almost nonstop for well over a year? When you are called the Chosen One by the Jedi Order, the qualifications are much different. Even more so when you lose an arm against a Sith Lord while defending your Master in a Lightsaber duel.

Anakin should have been promoted to the rank of Jedi Knight simply on that one single act alone. Hypocrites. When the Clone Wars started, Vader would not shed a tear for the Jedi slain in battle who thought in that manner.

Let the arrogant die. Let them die while the open minded live through the war to change the Galaxy into something better.

"You are not joining in the festivities," commented Qui-gon Jinn after entering the room.

"I do not belong down there," replied Vader like it was a natural answer to accept.

"The Queen wishes to honor you for your bravery. You killed a Sith, a deadly assassin who specializes in hunting Jedi, and provided evidence of the Trade Federation's illegal invasion. I'm not ashamed to admit it, but you have done far more for the Queen then I or Obi-wan could have ever hoped to achieve. Whether you accept this or not, I thank you for your assistance in this mission," said Qui-gon while Vader smiled behind the mask.

"You are welcome Master Jinn, but I sense there is another reason for your presence in this room with me," said Vader while Qui-gon sighed and became more serious.

"The Jedi Order, namely the Jedi Council wishes to speak with you. They are hoping you would agree to a civilized conversation with them," said Qui-gon while Vader chuckled in amusement.

"And by civilized, they mean me stripped of weapons, armor, and surrounded on all sides by other Jedi itching to run their Lightsabers through me?" asked Vader while Qui-gon winced since he got that general impression as well.

"I don't think it will go _that_ far," said Qui-gon, but even he had his doubts.

Doubts which Vader sensed.

"You don't believe that. You believe they will ask questions and kill me when they have none left to ask," concluded Vader while Qui-gon sighed.

"To be fair, you are the first Sith the Jedi have sensed and seen in the last 1,000 years," said Qui-gon with Vader smirking.

"The Jedi let their senses weaken. You let yourself become stagnate. You do not pursue new knowledge from the Force. To expand your power. Your abilities. But the Sith have never stopped. For 1,000 years, we pursued knowledge, power, and grew stronger from our desire to endure. The Sith have always lived on a serrated sword's edge between life and death. It provides us drive and desire to push ourselves further. The Jedi have no such drive or desire. Without the Sith, your Order does not continue to push itself to the limits like it should. Do you believe I am wrong?" said Vader while keeping his back the Jedi Master.

"No. I cannot refute your words. My old Jedi Master Dooku thinks the same way," said Qui-gon while Vader continued to stare out at the crowd below.

"I will not meet with the Jedi Council. Not all of them. I will speak to Master Yoda. No one else," said Vader with Qui-gon looking a tad worried.

"You wouldn't be seeking this opportunity to take the head of our most powerful Jedi Master, would you?" asked Qui-gon while Vader laughed.

"No. This will be a _civil_ discussion. Nothing more," said Vader while Qui-gon sighed again.

"I will let him know. I can assume this condition is not negotiable?" questioned Qui-gon with Vader nodding.

"I will only talk with him or the Jedi Order gets nothing," answered Vader swiftly with Qui-gon nodding before he left to talk to Master Yoda.

It was about another 20 minutes before _someone else_ came to see him. And it was not a Jedi.

"I was wondering where you were hiding. You were wise to stay away from everyone when the festivities started. With all the Jedi around, they would certainly wish to have you arrested or killed in battle," said Palpatine after entering the room sometime later.

"And you here why?" asked Vader while holding back his rage at the man he once called friend and confidant all those years ago when Anakin Skywalker was a naive fool.

He should add liar and deceiver as well.

"To offer my thanks and congratulations of course. You freed my people from death and enslavement," replied Palpatine while putting on his best "friendly face" to fool Vader.

"You can dispense with the pleasantries. We are alone and can talk Sith to Sith. Or are you afraid to be discovered as you have always been...Darth Sidious?" said Vader while Sidious's eyes widened before they narrowed dangerously.

"So you know. May I inquire as to _how_ you learned of my real identity?" asked Sidious while Vader turned slightly.

"You can ask, but I will not answer," replied Vader while Sidious scowled.

"You have wronged me heavily with this event Darth Vader. I will not forget it," said Sidious in a cold tone.

"I know I did. And I enjoyed every moment of it," replied Vader in a gloating tone.

"You threaten the Grand Plan. Why betray the Sith Order?" asked/demanded Sidious while Vader began to pace around the room away from him.

"You have a lot of nerve to speak of betrayal Sidious. Was it not you who betrayed Maul by sending him here, knowing he would die by my hands? Was it not you who betrayed his own people? His planet? The Trade Federation? How many people and places will you betray on your quest for power?" questioned Vader while Sidious scowled deeper.

"I will betray everyone and anyone. The only thing that matters is the creation of the Empire and my sitting on the throne as its Emperor. Everyone else is an expendable tool and pawn to my design," said Sidious while Vader seemed more amused by his words instead of impressed or intimidated.

"And what of your future apprentice? What happens when he follows the Rule of Two and seeks the end of you?" questioned Vader while Sidious narrowed his eyes further in a calculating manner.

"Who says I have to follow the Rule of Two to the end? I can keep my apprentice from ending me and replace him at any time for a newer one. So long as I have only one that can never surpasses me no matter what, the Rule of Two does not break," said Sidious while Vader scoffed.

"No. You just pervert it using some crude loophole you designed for yourself so the Rule of Two does not come full circle. You would never allow an apprentice to get that close or that far to one day end your life to become the next Master. You would stall the cycle from reaching the pinnacle point long after it was overdue to happen," said Vader while Sidious sneered at him.

"There is no need to continue the cycle after my ascension. I am the perfect Sith Lord to exist in the last 1,000 years since the time of Darth Bane. I will take everything that this Galaxy has to offer and will not allow anyone to take what is mine!" stated Sidious with his lust for power and all things in the Galaxy shining in his eyes.

It was taking considerable effort to keep his own power back. The darkness clawing and scratching at the mental leash he kept it tightly wrapped in to ensure no one knew he was a Sith Lord. With Yoda around and a few other Jedi, it would be foolish to free it for all to see and feel.

"And yet here I am. Standing in your way of claiming it all," commented Vader while Sidious had to bite his tongue to the point of drawing blood to keep his impulse in check of lashing out at his rival.

"It appears we are at a stalemate. You cannot attack me here and I cannot attack you," said Sidious while Vader did not acknowledge this.

"Correction. I _could_ attack you. I have already admitted to being a Sith Lord," said Vader while Sidious smirked despite the intended threat.

"If you did that, your status as a hero would die with me," said Sidious confidently while Vader looked unafraid of the problem that came with killing his former Master.

"True, but I doubt people would care if they learned you were also a Sith Lord, _and_ you conspired with the Trade Federation to blockade the planet," countered Vader stoically and saw Sidious snarl.

"If you had evidence showing my existence as a Sith Lord, you would have revealed it by now to the Jedi," said Sidious while Vader just continued to stare at him impassively.

"Who says I don't have it? Perhaps I am waiting for the opportune time to reveal your true self?" questioned Vader and knew Sidious was extremely paranoid regarding his identity as a Sith Lord being discovered by those he didn't want to learn it.

A weakness, if only a small one. But Vader was going to put pressure on this weakness and watch as Sidious's own darkness turned on him. Slowly. Methodically. Painfully. He would turn Sidious's own mind and power on him without mercy.

"You lie," whispered Sidious darkly while Sith Lightning sparked in his finger tips.

"Do I?" whispered Vader with equal darkness in his voice that dared Sidious to call his bluff.

"You will pay for your actions against me, Lord Vader. I will enjoy watching you suffer by my hands," said Sidious before he left the room.

'Been there. Done that. Only this time around Darth Sidious, I am ready for you,' thought Vader before he gazed out at the streets below.

(With Master Yoda-Sometime Later)

"Darth Vader, I presume?" asked Yoda, who stood in the center of the assigned room in the Nubian Palace after seeing Vader being escorted to him by Qui-gon.

"You presume correct Master Yoda," said Vader politely while using the Force to sense for other Jedi nearby.

And the Sith Lord wasn't disappointed. Vader easily sensed quite a few Jedi were within minutes of this room. Less if they used the Force to rush into the room to engage the Sith Lord in battle.

"Heard much about you, I did. Wished to see you in person, I have," said Master Yoda while Vader nodded.

"And so you have," answered Vader with Yoda nodding and making a noise in his throat.

"The Dark Side of Force is strong in you. Very strong," said Master Yoda while looking into Vader's eyes with those judging and calculating eyes.

"Your point?" asked Vader while wishing to cut to the chase.

"Wish to help you, I do," said Yoda while Vader narrowed his eyes.

"And how would you help me?" asked Vader while Yoda tilted his head at him.

"Master Yoda believes he can remove the Dark Side within you. Draw it out as one draws out a poison from a wound," offered Qui-gon while Vader's eyes narrowed further.

"I respectfully decline the offer Master Yoda," said Vader firmly while Yoda didn't look surprised in the slightest.

"Detain you, possible if I wished," said Master Yoda while the Force now began to shift around them.

"Unlikely. You would have to explain the action to the Queen of Naboo. Not to mention the people of Naboo themselves. You forget that while I am a Sith Lord, this Sith Lord saved the lives of an entire planet from slavery and death. The Queen would file a protest and the Senate would march against you after such a victory over the Trade Federation. A victory I helped them achieve no less. The Jedi Order would not be very popular if you tried such a move against me," said Vader with Yoda looking like he was thinking it over in his head.

"Endure the Jedi Order could, I believe," said Yoda while Vader scoffed.

"Just as you believed the Sith were no longer alive?" challenged Vader while Yoda had a brief grimace on his face at the jab at the Order's arrogance.

"Are there more like you?" asked Qui-gon this time while Vader glanced at him.

"There are _none_ like me. But I am not the Sith you need to worry about," said Vader with Yoda nodding in agreement.

"A Sith hidden from our sight, there is. Need to know his location, we must," stated Yoda while giving Vader a knowing look.

"And you believe I in fact know him," surmised Vader while Yoda continued to give him his usual piercing look.

"Do you?" asked Yoda with Vader narrowing his eyes.

"From a certain point of view, yes," said Vader while Qui-gon and Yoda looked at each other for a moment.

"Could you provide us with his name?" asked Qui-gon with Vader nodding.

"Sidious. Darth Sidious," answered Vader while Yoda and Qui-gon exchanged glances yet again.

"What about his name he hides behind? The one he uses in public?" asked Qui-gon with Vader being silent for a moment.

"That Jedi, you will have to find out on your own," answered Vader at last.

"Know his identity you do. Your enemy he is. Yet not aid us, why?" questioned Yoda curiously.

"The Force wishes me to be silent on the matter," said Vader, which was true since the Force was telling him to keep Sidious's public identity a secret for now.

"Isn't there anything you can tell us about this Sith Lord. Anything at all?" asked Qui-gon with Vader taking out a data stick and handing it to him.

"The communication logs between the Viceroy and Darth Sidious are on this data stick. It is all I can give you at the moment. I suggest you use it wisely Jedi," said Vader before he turned around and began to leave the room.

"Renounce the Dark Side you could. Help you, we can," said Yoda while Vader stopped and glanced back at him before he continued walking.

"What do you think Master Yoda?" asked Qui-gon with Yoda making a noise.

"Trust in the Force, we must. Fight him here, we will not. Use the information provided to us, we will," answered Yoda while staring at the retreating back of the robed form of Darth Vader.

"Many within the Jedi Order will think letting him go was a mistake," said Qui-gon while not sure what to believe regarding Vader.

"Powerful Darth Vader is. Strong in the Dark Side I sense in him. Best us all he could in combat, I sense. A bigger role in the Galaxy to play he does," added Yoda while Qui-gon looked down at the data stick in front of him.

"We have to be very careful Master Yoda. If there is a Sith out there in hiding within the Republic, we have to be careful regarding who we talk to about Jedi matters," warned a cautious Qui-gon Jinn while Master Yoda nodded in agreement.

"Keep the data stick to ourselves, we will. Show only to the Jedi Council, we must," said Yoda knowing the data stick might hold clues or hints to future plans the Sith were in the process of making.

"Even with this, we still have more questions then answers regarding Vader and the Sith hiding from us," said Qui-gon with Yoda nodding.

"Sense something similar to him in another, I did," said Yoda with Qui-gon frowning.

"Who?" asked Qui-gon with Yoda turning to look at him.

"Young Skywalker similar in certain aspects to him. Sense this I do," said Yoda while Qui-gon's eyes widened.

"Anakin is the Chosen One. Not a future Sith. He will not become one. I won't let that happen Master Yoda. Not while I am alive," said Qui-gon with Yoda making a noise.

"Agreed to let the boy be trained, the Jedi Council did. Your apprentice, official when Obi-wan becomes a Knight, he will be. First, learn from us the boy will. Learn how to be a proper Jedi, he must," said Yoda while Qui-gon frowned.

"And by proper Jedi, you mean never to see Mother again. Ever," concluded Qui-gon with Yoda looking at him fully.

"Disapprove, do you?" asked Yoda with Qui-gon nodding.

"Anakin is not a youngling raised as an infant in the Jedi Temple. He has an attachment to his Mother. An attachment which has lessened recently due the transition he has been allowed to happen in a less stress filled moment in time. The boy was also recently a slave and just freed from that life Master. I have seen slaves being freed and they hold onto any object or person they love with a fierce possessiveness in the belief they will lose that person or object within seconds of letting go. We need to ease Anakin out of that type of mentality. It is one of the reasons why I wish to be his Jedi Master. I can help him with this. Plus, if he sees his Mother every so often, it would give the boy some measure of peace knowing she is safe," explained Qui-gon with Yoda not liking this one bit.

"Attachments are forbidden Qui-gon. Make no exception for anyone, we should," said Yoda while Qui-gon sighed.

"And yet we have in the past Master Yoda. We have had several Force sensitives who were even older then Anakin become part of the Jedi Order. Why are you so against the boy? I sensed a great deal of reluctance in almost every single Jedi Master sitting in the Council Room. Why?" questioned Qui-gon with Yoda making another noise.

"Clouded, young Skywalker's future is. The Force will not reveal his future to us. Need to know what life has in store for him, we must," said Yoda while Qui-gon frowned.

"Perhaps we are not meant to know. The Force decides on whether or not to show us a person's possible future. I believe it doesn't show us his future knowing we would try to influence it. To influence the prophecy," said Qui-gon while Yoda did not look pleased.

"Protect the Jedi Order, we must," said Yoda firmly while Qui-gon shook his head.

"Protect it from what Master? Change? Is that what the Jedi Order has become? A place where changing for the better in order to bring balance is bad? To bring balance means to chance. To give and to take until the scales are even. My conversation with Vader earlier has shown me a very painful truth. We are stagnant. We are dying. The Force has all but said as much. If the Jedi Order does not change with the balancing of the Force, it will be destroyed," said Qui-gon with Yoda flinching since the idea of changing what has been the status quo for 1,000 years was not easy to do.

It took time. Considerable time and effort to change. And it had to be done unanimously.

"Truth in your words, there are. Meditate on this, I will. Be mindful of Skywalker and his training you must be Master Jinn. The Dark Side will have a powerful ally should the boy fall," said Yoda with Qui-gon nodding.

"I understand Master Yoda, but I believe in the boy. I believe Anakin will do great things as a Jedi. And maybe...maybe that's all I need to keep him in the Light when his Will is tested by the Dark Side. To have complete faith in him when no one else except for his Mother would in our place ," said Qui-gon before walking away to leave Yoda in deep thought.

(Coruscant-Sometime Later)

"Things are not going as planned," commented Sidious to his "Master" that was Darth Plagueis.

"And what did you expect when this new Sith Lord came around my apprentice? That he would side with us? With the Trade Federation? That he would kill the Jedi?" questioned Plagueis while watching his apprentice pacing back and forth angrily.

"That is just it! He wasn't expected. There are only suppose to be two Sith. The Rule of Two. Yet this Sith has appeared and unbalanced everything!" exclaimed Sidious while he so wished to unleash the monster inside of him on Vader.

"Only if you let him my apprentice. Right now, the Jedi are focused on him. Only him. Yes, they know the Sith have returned. That was an eventuality that would happen sooner or later. It just happened to be sooner," replied Plagueis calmly while Sidious looked at him in anger.

"We must find a way to counter him before he reveals too much to the Jedi. The Grand Plan we have spent 1,000 years preparing for will never be completed so long as Vader is allowed to continue living," said Sidious while Plagueis sighed knowing his student hated having something taken out of his control.

"Patience Sidious. Vader is a powerful Sith, but he is also without the resources you and I possess to move freely throughout the Galaxy. The Jedi Order will continue to watch him and further weaken themselves by depleting their resources. As for your worry over the Grand Plan, it is still in motion. Supreme Chancellor Valorum's term will be up within a few more months. It will give us time to reassess the plan and the various points for when the war starts and how to escalate it," said Plagueis with Sidious not looking convinced.

"I should be Supreme Chancellor now! That was how the plan was meant to happen!" said Sidious while Plagueis narrowed his eyes at him.

"Don't you mean _we_ should be Supreme Chancellors? Sharing the title and the power that comes with it. We did manipulate the law enough to make it possible," remarked Plagueis while Sidious stopped pacing with his back to the Muun.

"We did manipulate it. And I had a grand speech for when the Senate voted me into the position of Supreme Chancellor. It would have been a most riveting speech. The entire Senate would have applauded me for it. I would share the speech with you, but...you are about to die," said Sidious before he spun around and launched Sith Lightning on his Master, who attempted to repel it with his own power.

Only for Plagueis to realize he was slowly losing. He was tired. Physically weak from staying up and never sleeping. Using the Force to sustain him in such a manner. Now his attention was diverted to holding off his treacherous apprentice's attack and trying to stay awake. At full strength, Sidious was no match for Plagueis, this much both Sith knew was true without question. But the Muun was tired, both physically and mentally from lack of sleep, and his strength was divided in multiple directions.

Something Sidious also knew and pressed his advantage. Not holding back. Letting his inner darkness come out quickly in order to crush his Master in a hurry before the Jedi could sense their conflict. Eventually, the Sith Lightning Sidious unleashed was too much for Plagueis, and he was consumed by it. It was like this for well over 5 minutes straight before Sidious stopped his attack and was surprised Plagueis was alive.

If just barely.

"You...think...this mean you...are the Master. You are...not. I saw this...day through...the Force. I saw...your...actions. The...Grand...Plan. You...ruined...everything for...the Sith," rasped Plagueis while Sidious snarled at him.

"I am the Sith," countered Sidious while itching to unleash more on the dying Muun.

"No. You are...a blight in...the Force. Poison...all that you...touch. Took...measures to...to stop you," said Plagueis with his face warping into a deformed smile.

"Vader," spat Sidious while easily putting two and two together.

"Yes. I...needed something...someone...capable of...killing you. The Force...answered me and produced...Vader!" stated Plagueis while Sidious narrowed his eyes.

"Produced? What do you mean? Speak?!" commanded Sidious with a sudden sense of urgency.

Plagueis only laughed while he lay their dying.

"This is my...revenge for...your betrayal. The...Force and I...we will have...our revenge," said Plagueis before his eyes rolled back behind his head and the Sith Lord died.

"No. No! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Sidious before he unleashed his rage throughout the room and destroying much of what was in it.

When it was over, Sidious looked around the room to see the extent of his late Master's residence to see the extent of the damage. But unlike the thrill of being the Master after slaying Plagueis, the Sith Lord felt none of it. Only anger, hate, and rage over how his former Master turned Sidious's act of betrayal back on him.

His Master betrayed him. Betrayed the Grand Plan. Betrayed the Sith! And for what? So Sidious wouldn't ruin the Galaxy under rule as the future Emperor of the Galactic Empire he envisioned? Bah! If the Galaxy was destroyed beyond measure, he would just leave for another Galaxy, and us his mastery over the Dark Side to rule there too. And keep doing it over and over again, even if it meant the entire Universe itself had to die with him being the last thing ever to exist.

But now such plans envisioned for _this_ Galaxy were in jeopardy. Somehow the Force had produced a means of fighting him and those plans. Unlike Anakin Skywalker, who was not ready for the role meant for him just yet, the Sith Lord now was ready. Darth Vader was in his prime, was powerful, skilled with the Lightsaber, the Force, and was clearly an enemy Sidious had not way of manipulating.

Not yet at any rate.

'I will win against you my former Master. I will become Emperor. I will kill Vader. _AND_ I will even _break_ the Will of the Force itself,' thought Sidious angrily.

(Kamino-Tipoca City)

Count Dooku was many things. Former Jedi Master. The newly made Count of Serenno, which was his home planet. He was a skilled swordsman on par with Master Yoda. And had a strong connection to the Force few could match. In addition, the man was highly intelligent, perceptive, and cunning that was a well respected asset within the Jedi Order.

When he left Jedi Order, it was because Dooku saw what few were willingly to recognize about the Republic, and the Senate as a whole. It was corrupt. Tainted. Senators doing the thing that benefited them. Not the people of the Republic. Not the citizens of the galactic government they swore to protect and serve. Dooku had expressed his grievances to his old Jedi Master, Yoda, and hoped he would listen.

He did not.

As Yoda and the other Jedi let their arrogance grow, Dooku's faith in the Order, and in the Senate began to decline. After Vader and Maul made themselves known, added to the Chosen One that a Jedi Prophecy foretold, it was clear to now Count of Serenno to stop being a Jedi. He could not be apart of an Order that were the puppets of the Senate and the bureaucrats who ran it with their bribery, blackmail, and extortion. Ordering the Jedi around to solve any problem that stood in their way and making the Galaxy perceive his former brothers and sisters as the attack animals of the Senate. Their personal hugs if you will and all to ensure the interests of the Republic and the Senate all benefitting from the many acts carried out.

So much was his surprise when Darth Vader himself had contacted the now titled Count a few long months after the Battle of Naboo ended. At first, Dooku was suspicious of the Sith Lord for wanting to contacting him like this. Even more so after seemingly vanishing from the public eye, and the Jedi Order's ow senses too.

Dooku still didn't understand how someone with all that power could simply suppress it to the point where you couldn't tell Vader was a Sith Lord unless you saw him in action. Still, it only proved Dooku right in regards to how the Jedi had become complacent and lax in their own training and expanding their knowledge of the Force.

Which is why he left and began to hunt for the Sith Lord. The one hiding and the one that had revealed himself on Naboo all those months ago. As expected, the Sith Lord still in hiding was impossible to find, even with the vast wealth Dooku had to buy contacts, and mercenaries who had their own contacts within contacts. Though it did reveal to him that the hidden Sith also had vast resources and powerful friends if the search had proven to be fruitless for this long.

The second one was not as difficult to find, but still a challenge to locate. After the Battle of Naboo, the Sith Lord known as Darth Vader had stayed on the planet for barely one week. The group of Jedi Masters who had arrived to see the people celebrate their new found peace had been keeping an eye on him. Unfortunately, they could not arrest the Sith due to him being a hero, and also because there was no real law against being a Sith Lord. Such a law was expelled from the Republic long before Dooku's and Yoda's time as a Jedi. It was an ancient law back when the Sith were vast in terms of numbers instead of the apparent two that existed today.

Whether Vader knew this or not was irrelevant. Him leaving the planet was relevant to the Jedi and wondering where he was going. Some of the Jedi had tried to stop him of course. In a "civil" manner through talking to him. They tried to convince Vader it was best for him to stay on Naboo a little while longer and know the people he had saved. But Dooku knew their "civil discussion" was a ploy to keep Vader on the planet to observe him and find a way/excuse to arrest the Sith Lord. Vader apparently saw through it too and ignored their request/warning/threat to stay on Naboo and had asked the Queen if it was possible for her to provide a single Nubian ship to fly into the vastness of space.

The Jedi had tried to have their say on the issue, both publically and privately with the Queen since they didn't want Vader to gain any momentum or influence throughout the Galaxy. The Queen ignored them, as she owed Vader too much to turn away his request, which was small by comparison to what anyone else would ask of her. Anyone else in his position would have demanded a vast fortune of credits, a fleet of ships, or something on a far more grander scheme of things.

All Vader asked for was a simple Nubian transport. One he received without resistance from the Queen and with a large sum of credits to further show her Majesty's generosity toward the Sith Lord. Dooku knew that such a sum given could last a single person for several years if properly managed. Vader had accepted both and had departed Naboo, much to the sadness of the people, and headed out into the Galaxy where the last report about him stated he was somewhere in the Outer Rim.

Whereabouts unknown...until today.

And on a planet called Kamino.

A stormy planet in the Outer Rim that only the most rich and influential people in the Galaxy knew about outside of those who knew the deepest parts of the Outer Rim like the back of their hands. Fortunately, for him anyway, the day he arrived, the city was not being bombarded by rain, lightning, and giant waves of water with enough force to move a transport ship out of position.

As Dooku walked through the clean halls of the city, his guide Taun We was very polite when she first introduced herself. She clearly knew from just the sight of him that he was someone of great importance and with deep financial pockets. As such, she did her well trained duty in treating Dooku with the utter most respect. No doubt to impress him or get his interest in the facility in order to do future business with them.

They clearly had the "Make the clients come to you" methods of business down flat.

As they walked, Taun We explained how they were surprised to get so many VIP coming from various parts of the Galaxy to their little corner of it. When Dooku asked her about the others with a raised an eyebrow, she politely stated the host of this meeting would be able to explain things better. It was clear she knew who these other VIPs were, but had been asked by the host of this gathering to keep such information to herself. While Dooku _could_ have extracted the information from her discreetly, he respected the Kaminoan for her duty for following the client's wishes.

Besides, Dooku did not sense any threats to his person by not knowing who was being brought to this secret gathering. It was quite a thrill actually. One he had not had in years since his younger days as an eager Padawan learning under Master Yoda.

"Count Dooku, may I introduce you to your fellow associates at this meeting," said Taun We before she opened the door for the Count to enter.

When he did, Dooku was surprised by the small group of people in this room. One was his dearest friends Sifo-Dyas. The man had been on a top secret mission for the, at the time, Supreme Chancellor Valorum some months ago. Dooku only found out about the mission through his contacts who knew how to find things when he was searching for the two Sith Lords.

The next person currently standing across from Sifo was another Jedi who Dooku had not seen before today. Which wasn't surprising. When you are in an Order with over 10,000 strong, you don't meet everyone in it, even after so many years of serving in it. He was human, male, reddish-brown hair, pale green eyes, and was strong in the Force as all Jedi should be with a Lightsaber looking a tad abused from constant fighting. Something you would expect from a seasoned warrior and who had been knee deep in blood and death.

Yet this man did not lose his way as Jedi. It was quite commendable.

Next to the Jedi Knight was a young pale white skinned female girl with blue eyes and brown hair designed in a short, yet smooth Mohawk shaped manner. She was currently wearing what Dooku assumed were Jedi Padawan robes. At her waist was a Lightsaber of her own, which was also war torn like the Jedi Knight's own. Meaning she was the Jedi Knight's apprentice and was no doubt strong in the Force too for her age.

And finally, at the center of this group, standing in front of a table that separated all of them from each other...was Darth Vader himself.

Dooku found himself a tad intimidated by those eyes. Those red yellowish eyes filled with hate, rage, and pain while screaming power from the Dark Side. The bottom half of the man's mask making Vader all the more intimidating while the hood of his robes kept the top half hidden from anyone wanting to see more.

"Welcome to Kamino Count Dooku. We would be honored if you join us today for this meeting," said Vader while gesturing for Dooku to come into the room further to talk.

"When a Sith Lord invites someone such as myself to a secret meeting, one cannot help but be intrigued, and interested coming to it," replied Dooku before stepping further into the room and sensed Taun We back out to shut the door behind them.

"I still can't believe I am in the room with a Sith Lord and not drawing my Lightsaber against him," said commented Sifo though there was some humor behind it.

"I must admit, I am also curious, yet cautious in regards to your intentions on bringing us all here together. Make no mistake, I am grateful for your intervention Lord Vader. Your arrival literally saved my life from ending on Rattatak in front of my apprentice here. But do not think for one moment I will pledge myself to the Sith Order. Nor will my student Ventress here," said the Jedi Knight while his now named apprentice nodded firmly.

"I did not save your life and the life of your apprentice to make you my servants. Not did I bring you here to convert you to the Sith Order and the Dark Side of the Force. No Ky Narec. I brought you all here because we will soon be the key players in the war that is to come upon the Galaxy. A war that will spread throughout the entire Galaxy. A war that is inevitable. A war that cannot be stopped. It can only be contained. Controlled. Anything else is nothing short of a naive fantasy or dream," said Vader calmly while the Jedi and Count frowned at his words.

"If what you say is in fact true Lord Vader, isn't there a way to stop this impending war from happening?" asked Ny Narec with Vader shaking his head no.

"The pieces are already moving and pawns are being put in place to the instigate the war nearly 10 years from now. Master Sifo-Dyas here sensed it long before today and secretly tried to commission a clone army ready to fight for the Republic when the time comes," said Vader while Sifo admittedly nodded his head.

"A darkness is coming. I could and still can see it. I almost feel it. A great hunger in the Dark Side of the Force. Consuming everything like a giant black hole, but spreading out like...like an oily dark blanket that caused everything around it to decay. To die. Slowly. Painfully. All after being touched by it," explained Sifo while Dooku nodded since he felt the same way as his friend.

"If this war and this darkness were seen by you Master Jedi, why didn't you tell anyone on the Jedi Council?" asked Ky Narec curiously.

"I did. I was actually on the Jedi Council just prior to the invasion of Naboo by the Trade Federation. I told them we needed an army to fight this evil I believed was building its own army against us. I was ignored and kicked off the Jedi Council for my view being too...aggressive. The Jedi Order is not what it once was back when the Sith were an army unto themselves. 1,000 years ago, we knew how to fight, plan, and strategize on the best ways to defeat our enemies. I once joked with Master Dooku here that the Jedi went from warriors of light to mere peacekeepers. Force sensitive police officers of the Senate. Only now, I realize my words couldn't be more closer to the truth. The Jedi no longer have the mindset or the skills to fight in a war. Not on the scale that this one will be fought in the distant future," said Sifo-Dyas while grimacing at how his feeling were ignored by the Jedi Council.

"Further proof of the Jedi Order becoming increasingly weak is shown from what only happened recently with the invasion of Naboo itself and how it was handled by the two Jedi sent as Ambassadors. When the time came to fight, they did not fight as warriors of light nor did they try to use proper strategy in their given situation. Had it not been for my aid and clever tactics, the events surrounding the invasion would have ended very differently," added Vader with Dooku's mouth twitching since he had spoken to his old Padawan about Naboo following his return to Coruscant.

He had actually cancelled his meeting and lunch with Senator Palpatine to get Qui-gon's insight about Darth Vader to see if the Sith Lord was everything they had sensed through the Force. The apparent Sith named Maul, who Vader had killed along with the assassin Aurra Sing only proved to Dooku that the Jedi had become arrogant in their belief that they were invincible. Had one or both enemies confronted Qui-gon and Obi-wan in battle on Naboo, the Count had no doubt he would be mourning the loss of his old Padawan.

Dooku even scolded his old student in regards to letting his skills decline and told Qui-gon he needed to train further to regain some of it back. Qui-gon had found it ironic that Dooku had told him as much since Vader had said the same thing during the mission to protect the Queen.

Still, if it meant Qui-gon could continue being a Jedi Master and successfully training Anakin Skywalker in a few more years, the Count was going to stay in contact with his old Padawan to make sure he kept on training.

"What war are you proposing we fight in? And why not bring the Jedi Order into this? We could easily do it while keeping you out of the conversation, if only for a time," said Ky Narec while Vader shook his head.

"Even if you brought the Jedi Order into it, they would wish to stop the war before it can even begin by killing the other key player on the other side who wants it to happen," said Vader while Dooku narrowed his eyes.

"The second Sith Lord. The same one the Jedi Order has been secretly looking for among the Senate as of late," said Dooku since he had been told as much by Qui-gon when they last spoke to each other.

"Yes. Hundreds of Senators and soon hundreds more, are under the influence of this Sith Lord, known to others as Darth Sidious. He has been spreading his influence throughout the Senate, pulling strings, and causing events to happen that benefit him no matter the outcome," said Vader while Dooku and Sifo frowned at this since they knew the Senate was corrupted by the greed of the Senators themselves.

But for a Sith to obtain influence over them through their greed and corruption in secret was something else entirely.

"Do you know the identity of this Sith Lord?" asked Dooku while seeing Vader nod.

"I do, but the Force will not permit me to reveal his identity to you. Any of you. No doubt to prevent anyone here from confronting the man and ending his life prior to the intended time," said Vader while the Jedi in the room frowned further.

"Why would the Force allow such a thing?" asked Ventress curiously.

"Because young one, the Force has plans for him. For us. The Jedi, the Sith, the Republic, and everyone else in the Galaxy are all bound to its incredible Will. It wishes this war to happen because it sees events far beyond our time. Good and bad. In order to prepare for the bad, the Force needs this war to happen. To bring about progress in all things. Not just with technology, but with the trillions of people from different species currently living in this Galaxy. To shape us. Mold us. Prepare us for the dark things waiting in the Galaxy beyond that of a single Sith Lord in hiding. And in order to make this progress happen, countless lives must be lost in this coming war. All to make sure even more lives several times over in the distant future live to enjoy it," explained Vader while Ventress looked down in sorrow, but was comforted by her Master.

"It is all right Ventress. I know it hurts to hear this painful truth. Even more so when a Sith Lord says it. Believe me when I say this makes even the most wise and experienced Jedi feel sorrow inside," said Ky Narec while Ventress gave him a reassuring smile.

"I know Master. I just...I thought after we escaped the war on Rattatak, we would get a chance to rest, and enjoy some measure of peace," said Ventress with Ky Narec nodding in agreement.

"I understand my young Padawan. I do. We saw enough fighting back on that planet to last a lifetime. And now we are being told another one on a galactic scale is currently on the horizon. But perhaps this is our chance to use our own experience on how to fight in a war to help prepare others for what is soon to come in the future," said Ky Narec with Ventress nodding.

"How is this war going to happen?" asked Dooku curiously.

"Simple. Through you," replied Vader with Dooku looking surprised for a second.

"And why would I do that?" asked Dooku while wondering what Vader was thinking.

"Because we both know its the only way this can work," said Vader and saw Dooku and the others look at him with skepticism.

"Perhaps you would like to explain this plan of yours in further detail Lord Vader? Fill in some of the blanks if you will?" offered Sifo while Vader simply nodded.

"What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room. For what I am about to tell you is what would have happened had I not been on Naboo and what would have happened in the future as a result," said Vader before he told them everything they needed to know and what the future held as a result of it.

Needless to say...they were stunned beyond measure.

"I see. So I become an enemy of the Jedi Order. Not how I wanted to spend my elderly years," said Dooku while glancing at his friend, who had just been told the Count had killed him in another future.

"Don't worry my friend. I forgive you," said Sifo-Dyas calmly since he understood why Dooku did these things.

The Jedi becoming stagnant. The corruption in the Senate. And Dooku losing Qui-gon in the alternate future was clearly the final push over the edge.

"I need to leave this room. I need some air. I...I must go!" exclaimed Ventress before she ran out of the room and her Master calling to for the girl to come back.

"Forgive my Padawan. What she just learned about herself is a heavy weight for one so young to hear," said Ky Narec after he was told about his death had Vader not interfered, and Ventress would fall to the Dark Side as a result.

To think his young bright eyed Padawan would fall to the darkness through his death.

"Go to her. She will need you now. There are things I must discuss with the Jedi Master and the Count that you are not ready to hear," said Vader with Ky Narec nodding his head and quickly left the room to find his shaken apprentice.

"I find it hard to believe that there is something else you haven't told us," said Dooku while he was surprised that he would serve the same Sith who trained Maul and had killed his former apprentice on Naboo in the alternate future.

"You would be surprised," said Vader before he told Dooku and Sifo-Dyas about how the Clone Wars would end and how the Jedi Order would be destroyed as a result.

"Those chips in the clones were meant for something else entirely. To think they would be used on the Jedi Order like that and we would suspect nothing of it," said Sifo while sighing at how his plans to commission the Republic secret clone army would be used on the future Jedi Generals that commanded them.

"You didn't know my friend. We all have sins to carry in this alternate future. Some more then others," said Dooku while knowing he had done much in this alternate future to be even more ashamed of himself.

Siding with the Sith who trained that animal Maul. Bah! If his other self was here now, Dooku would have sliced his head off himself!

"There is also one _final_ thing I have yet to mention. It happens after the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire," said Vader with Sifo and Dooku looking at him in shock.

"What else can you tell us that hasn't already been said?" asked Sifo with his eyes looking tired and drained.

"Only that the Clone Wars has _another_ purpose. One that will truly frighten the both of you," said Vader before he told them about the Death Star, how the materials to make the super laser were obtained during the war, and what the technological terror could do to a planet.

It was by this point, Dooku needed to sit down before his legs gave out on him from such a disturbing revelation about the dark future that would come long after their deaths.

(With Ventress)

She looked over the railing at the water below. The waves crashing against the metal support towers that held this city/facility up above the sea depths. It would be so easy for her to just go over the railing. One foot over the next, one leg after another over the metal railing, and after taking one final breath...she would fall into the water below with no use of the Force to cushion her fall.

'I am not worthy of being a Jedi Apprentice. Much less _his_ apprentice. I am not worthy of his kindness. His compassion. His understanding. I am a monster in pale white skin. The longer I live, the greater the chance of tainting his memory. I need to die. I need to free Master Narec from my inner darkness before I destroy him,' thought Ventress, as she had been crying heavily since coming out here, and going over what Vader had revealed.

Her Master's death.

Her fall to the Dark Side.

Becoming a Sith assassin.

Killing Jedi.

Taking lives.

Committing war crimes.

She practically deserved to die for any _one_ of those things. Now Ventress saw her chance to remove any such moment in time from history. By taking herself out of it. Once she was dead, the Galaxy would be changed for the better. No dead Jedi. No lives taken by her hands. No blood from innocent lives staining the memory of her Jedi Master and the kindness he showed in taking her in.

All she need to do was take the first step toward the end.

Only to find herself yanked backwards by her Master using the Force to pull before the man wrapped his arms tightly around Ventress. She tried to struggle. To get free in order to run to the railing and make the leap to her death. But Ky would let her go. He held her close, speaking Ventress's name, and pleading with the girl to not do what she planned to do.

Eventually, Ventress stopped struggling. All she could do was hold onto her Master and cry.

"Let me die Master. I am not worthy of being your Padawan," whispered Ventress and felt Ky hold her tighter.

"Says who? Not me, that's for sure. When I first found you Ventress, I saw greatness in you. I still do. You are my Padawan and always will be long after you are a full grown woman. I am proud of you no matter what the future holds. You have the potential to be a Jedi and you still can, regardless of this future Vader revealed would have happened if I died. I do not feel ashamed of having you as my Padawan. Nor do I loathe or despise the woman you became in the end. That future is not existent now. In that future, I was dead on a war torn world, and you were too young to be without a guide. Please Ventress, do not blame yourself for things that _might_ happen. Especially since that possible future is not possible now. I will continue to teach you everything I know about being a Jedi and if you want, I could ask Master Sifo-Dyas to share his own knowledge and teachings with you," said Ky Narec with Ventress looking surprised at his words since she half expected the Jedi Knight to strike her down after hearing what a possible future self did.

"You would?" asked Ventress while Ky Narec nodded.

"Of course! I will continue to teach you what I know, but Master Dyas can finish up the rest since he is more knowledgeable then me. You are my apprentice Ventress and it is my duty as your Master to ensure your training does not stop with me. I can only teach you so much. I want you to learn and grow stronger. When the time is right and I have nothing left to teach you, I will ask Master Dyas to continue your training with him. The man is a well respected Jedi Master and I have no doubt he would be honored to continue your training after finishing mine," replied Ky Narec calmly while Ventress nodded and turned to smile at her Master.

He wasn't abandoning Ventress like she first feared after hearing the truth about what the future held should Ky Narec die. But he didn't turn her away. He didn't let her die. Her Master wanted Ventress to live. To live and learn. Grow stronger and become the Jedi Knight he believed she could.

"Forgive me Master. I nearly failed you," said Ventress while Ky Narec soothed his apprentice by holding her tight.

"No Ventress. You didn't fail me. You mere stumbled on your path. It happens even to the best of Jedi. Sometimes more then once," said Ky Narec before he released Ventress with his hands now on her shoulders.

"Even you?" asked Ventress curiously while hoping her question didn't offend her.

"Yes. Even me. Sometimes are stumbles lead us to good things and bad in others. When I stumbled during my travels, I had the privilege of finding my apprentice. You will go far in the future Ventress. I believe. I feel it in the Force. You are and always be...a blessing in my eyes," said Ky Narec and saw Ventress smile grow before she hugged him again.

"Thank you Master," said Ventress with Ky Narec smiling.

"Come on. Let's go inside. I sense its going to storm soon. From what Vader mentioned earlier when we arrived, they can be pretty brutal," said Ky Narec while walking with his apprentice back into the city.

When they walked back into the room, they saw Vader still standing where he had been when they left. But Dooku and Sifo looked like they had aged considerably from what Vader no doubt told the Jedi Master and the former Jedi Master in their absence. It was clear to the Jedi Knight that whatever was said to the two, it wasn't good.

A glance from Vader told him not to ask questions and decided not to ask them exactly what was spoken.

"How can we stop this? How can we hope to stop the evil in the present and the one that will come in the future?" asked Master Dyas while Vader activated a holo-projection.

"Fortunately, we have 10 years to prepare for the darkness and the coming war. Pieces on the board that will have to be obtained before our enemy does in our place. Count Dooku will be the leader of the Separatist. Your charismatic way of talking will rally systems by the thousands. Both within the Republic and other worlds outside of it. At the same time, Master Sifo-Dyas will continue with the commission of the clone army as planned. The candidate in which to choose for the army has already been contacted and well paid for it with a personal interest attached. He should be here within the week and does not know I was the one who contacted him. Master Dyas, you will take responsibility for that as well since our candidate will want to know who hired him upon his arrival. No one can know I helped arrange this in anyway. Especially the Jedi Order," said Vader while Count Dooku and Master Sifo-Dyas nodded in understanding.

"Where to do we go?" asked Ky Narec curiously.

"As with all armies, we need qualified Generals with incredible skills in battle, and the means to pull off strategic planning. The three of us will be heading to the planet Kalee and assist the Kaleesh there in ending the war they are enduring with the Yami'rii. Your time on a war torn planet gives you and Ventress an edge and will help gain the respect of the war like species when the time comes to fight," said Vader before he brought up the war torn planet and the fighting going on there.

"Do we have to interfere in their politics? Perhaps we should discreetly get the Republic involved," offered Ky Narec while Vader shook his head.

"No. This war will become bloody and brutal as time progress. If the Kalee are left to their own devices, they will eventually push the Yami'rii from their planet, and go on the offensive. The Yami'rii will see themselves losing and use their own connections in the Republic to have the Senate move against the Kalee despite the Yami'rii being in the ones in the wrong. The Republic will send a Jedi task force to put down the "Kalee invasion" and sanctions will be placed on the Kalee home world. Most of the people on the planet will slowly suffer and die. Including the children of one of the Generals I wish to recruit to the cause," said Vader while Ky Narec frowned.

"Why would the Republic side with the Yami'rii people if they were in the wrong?" asked Ventress since she didn't understand why the side that was wrong were being protected.

"Because they only heard the Yami'rii's side of the story. The Yami'rii told tall tales and lies to get the Senate on their side. The Kalee have no political connections in the Senate and thus no one will hear their side. As such, without anyone to defend them, or sending an impartial investigation team to examine the situation entirely...the Yami'rii people will be seen as victims of the war they started," explained Vader while Ventress seemed to be upset by this injustice.

"So we go there, win the battle for the Kalee, but keep them from going to far to the point where the Republic gets involved. Correct?" surmised Ky Narec with Vader nodding.

"At the same time, Count Dooku will reach out to the InterGalactic Banking Clan. Speak to San Hill. As its Chairman, he will be most helpful with all the funding this Separatists movement requires and bringing other major powers together. I will leave a list of who we need him to bring to our side," said Vader while Dooku nodding since they needed some serious financial muscle to go with this plan.

"If the Republic is getting the clones, what army will the Separatists bring to this war?" asked Sifo-Dyas curiously.

"Battle droids. An almost seemingly endless army of battle droids. And I'm not talking about the ones that invaded Naboo. I'm talking upgraded versions. More efficient. More intelligent. More models of droids meant for almost any aspect of war," answered Vader while everyone nodded.

"This is going to be bloodbath," said Sifo-Dyas gravely while Vader turned to look at him.

"Show me a war that isn't one," countered Vader with the Jedi Master being unable to refute that.

(Coruscant-With Sidious-Months Later)

The newly appointed Supreme Chancellor Palpatine sat in the seat of power that was his newly proclaimed title. Ordinarily, he would relish the position of power given to him by the very people he would soon destroy, if not enslave for his own purposes. The corrupt Senators were in his pocket, he had the ears of the rare few who weren't, and aside from a few minor annoyances...everything was on track to consolidating his political power to new heights.

So why wasn't he happy?

For one, the Trade Federation was officially kicked out of the Senate thanks to Palpatine's predecessor and even worse, the Senate was imposing sanctions on the Trade Federation. The end result go so bad that the Trade Federation was ruined to the point of bankruptcy and liquidating the company down to the last battle droid. Soon after that, an anonymous individual began purchasing all of the assets with a no questions asked clause attached to the buyout. Even Palpatine's own connections were unable to determine who the buyer was when they tried to obtain some of the Trade Federations assets himself. But whatever Sidious had purchased was only a fraction of what he initially planned to obtain.

Someone was undermining him. And Sidious suspected it was Darth Vader. Only the Sith Lord would be so bold as to defy him on any scale. What's more, Palpatine had been able to determine through his late Master's connections on Kamino that Sifo-Dyas had secretly and successfully commissioned the creation of the clone army. But that was as far as he got in determining that it was set in motion and the candidate chosen for the template was labeled classified at the highest level per the request of the Jedi Master himself. In fact, the only one who could now reveal the identity of the candidate clone template was the Prime Minister of Kamino Lama Su. And this could only be done with Master Dyas's expressed permission after being informed of who made such a request.

If Sidious tried to find out through his contacts on Kamino, it would raise red flags, and alert certain people of his intentions to learning more about the clones.

In addition, Chairman San Hill had recently closed himself off from Sidious, and even his Supreme Chancellor persona. San Hill wouldn't say why, but made it clear to Palpatine that the Republic's financial numbers needed to be in order should an unexpected audit suddenly be required.

It got even worse when word from his contacts in the Senate, who were actually friends with the Jedi, told him that they were keeping eyes on the Senate itself. How they were now trying to distance themselves from the Senate so as not to be entirely dependent on the Galactic government. From what Sidious could piece together, the Jedi Order had been given information about the Trade Federation conspiring with Sidious himself just before the blockade of the planet.

It was fortunate that Gunray didn't know who he was beyond being a Sith Lord and was dead since Sidious would have seen to it that fool was tortured slowly by his hands. The late Viceroy's second in command did not make it to Coruscant to be interrogated further on the issue.

Still, the idea of the Jedi knowing his existence now was troubling. Sidious had hoped the Jedi as a whole would be too distracted by Vader to focus on searching for him here on Coruscant. Unfortunately, the Jedi Order felt they could split their resources to keeping searching for both of them.

The only _good news_ for Sidious was Anakin Skywalker was now apart of the Jedi Order like he hoped. Personally, the Sith Lord would have loved to take the naive boy in, and mold him into his new Sith apprentice. But running a massive government such as this was time consuming and didn't have any mentioned time to train Anakin himself. No. It was better to let the Jedi do all the ground work. Teach him the Lightsaber forms, the Force itself, and anything else in the most basic, yet neutral of senses that Sidious himself would have taught. When the time came to bring about the war, much less manipulate it to his advantage, Sidious had planned to put a now fully grown Anakin Skywalker on the front lines. He would be knee deep in war. In blood and death. Sidious would let the very darkness surrounding it draw Anakin to the Dark Side, corrupt the boy, and turn him into a Sith. One worthy of being his tool and using masterfully in striking down the Jedi Order before bringing about the rise of the Empire.

He just wished the boy's future Jedi Master wasn't Qui-gon Jinn. He had tried to talk to some of the Jedi Masters in passing to "offhandedly" convince them the maverick Jedi was not the best one to teach the boy. To have them make such an argument before he Jedi Council. Some had agreed with him on the subject, but they also mentioned how Master Yoda seemed to be favoring the idea of Master Jinn being Anakin Skywalker's Master. And being the Jedi Grandmaster, when Yoda says something about anything, it is usually considered to be final.

Which upset Sidious knowing the old dwarf would not be swayed by him in any shape or form. Sidious has considered taking Qui-gon Jinn out of the equation by having the man assassinated, but found the Force sending him a feeling that it would not tolerate such a thing.

(Jedi Temple-At the Moment)

"Young Skywalker is progressing well during his time here," commented Qui-gon while being given a report of the boy's progress in learning, per his request.

"In his academics, yes. But learning about the Force is another matter. He outshines even some of our older students with his Force potential. I fear this may cause some measure of resentment from the his age group and those who are slightly older," said Jocasta Nu, as she had seen the boy show so much potential in the Force, and it was almost hard to imagine it came form a 9 year old boy.

"Such things could lead to arrogance. Have you talked to the boy about this to ensure he does not act this way?" asked Qui-gon with Jocasta Nu nodding.

"I did. At first, I saw defiance in him for it. He feared I was only saying what I did in order to hold him back. I explained that wasn't the case and went into detail how he should not let his potential in the Force go to his head. I had to use key examples from past moments in history where a Jedi has let his or her arrogance surrounding just how powerful they were had brought about their downfall. Fortunately, the boy has a good heart deep down and doesn't want anyone to hate him. He seems to want recognition for his talents over anything else. Part of me believes young Skywalker is afraid we will cast him out if he doesn't perform beyond our rumored high expectations of him," said Jocasta Nu while Qui-gon sighed knowing some of the Jedi Masters had been particularly harsh in their way of training Anakin in being a Jedi.

They had given more difficult lessons to the boy. Made him do more over what one was expected to do at Anakin's age. Yet it didn't deter the former slave boy of Tatooine. But the end result was always the same when Anakin completed his task. The Jedi instructors would not praise him for his accomplishments. Instead, they would frown at him with what some would think was disapproval. Giving the poor boy looks that said "you can do better" or "its perfect, but even perfection can be improved".

One time, Qui-gon overheard one of the Jedi instructors wishing the boy would fail a task at least once just so they could give him a "humbling lecture" on how to do something right. It seemed most of the Jedi felt the boy need negative reinforcement on what he did in order to keep Anakin "humble" and purge the growing arrogance from him.

Qui-gon felt that while Anakin should be kept humble, the negative reinforcement would do more harm since young Skywalker was a former slave. Negative reinforcement was all the boy knew since he could understand the concept of being a slave during the first 9 years of his life. The boy wanted to be praised and receive recognition for his efforts in trying so hard, which the Jedi Master believed would help in the long run for a boy trying to prove his worth everyday he was here.

"You will have to talk to the other instructors. They are placing the boy on a much higher standard of learning and training over the others his age. Added they aren't providing the boy with the encouragement one would expect from succeeding will only make Anakin feel resentful of them. Of the Jedi Order as a whole. The boy has been a slave for much of his young childhood. Negative reinforcement is all he knows and we are not exactly providing anything else regardless if he makes progress in his training or not," said Qui-gon knowing he couldn't say anything because it would seem biased given his connection to the boy now and in the future.

"I will talk to them. This damn prophecy has a lot of us on edge Qui-gon. Many feel the boy has to be pushed hard. While I agree more difficult exercises would be best, I also feel positive learning would help with keeping Anakin humble," said Jocasta while she knew many Jedi were afraid of Anakin and how he might bring balance to the Force.

To bring balance, things had to change.

Meaning change to the Galaxy.

Change to the Jedi Order.

The Jedi Order did not like changing. They had always preferred to be the unmovable rock in the river of time. They never believed in changing. Adapting certain things for them to use if it benefited them? Yes. Changing completely? No.

'Anakin is the Chosen One. I know it. I feel it. He will bring balance to the Force. It just has to be done in a way that doesn't go against the Will of the Force,' thought Qui-gon since he believed the Jedi Order had been going against it with some of their decisions in the past.

Decisions that caused Jedi to leave the Order and seek exile or go out into the Galaxy to seek ways of being a Jedi while not being tied down to the Jedi Code.

He only hoped it things would work out in the end.

(Planet Kalee-Kaleesh Home World)

Qymaen jai Sheelal, who in another time was named General Grievous, was knee deep in fighting his hated enemy the Yami'rii when three being not from his world came down to the planet. At first, he thought they were here to fight for the Yami'rii, and his forces tried to engage them in combat.

Only for the half masked one with the red blade leaped high into the sky over the Kaleesh Warlord and his army before descending upon the startled Yami'rii. Qymaen was shocked by the leap, yet awed by the skill displayed by the masked warrior in slaughtering all of the Yami'rii like it was an art form. The red blade the masked warrior used cut through the bodies of the Kaleesh's hated enemies and used some strange sorcery to crush those too far away to swing the deadly weapon.

Who was this masked warrior and who were those with him watching their comrade with such focus?! Even when the two others drew their own weapons and moved to engage in the fighting, he could see it wasn't with the same aggressive behavior as the masked one. However, it was clear those two were also not strangers to the way of fighting, and the what it meant to slay your enemy in glorious combat.

"I take it we have your attention?" asked Vader when it was all over with Qymaen jai Sheelal nodding behind his mask.

"You certainly do fellow warrior. I must say, your skills are quite impressive," praised the Kaleesh Warlord with Vader nodding.

"Your skills are also impressive. With the right training, you could be even better," said Vader while with Qymaen jai Sheelal looked intrigued.

"I would gladly accept such training from a demi-god if it helps us purge our world of these disgusting Huk," said Qymaen jai Sheelal while Ky Narec and Ventress looked on between the two warriors.

It was like watching two alpha male predators size the other up to determine which one was the more dominant of the two and which one would win in an actual fight.

"As flattering as that was, I am no demi-god, but I along with my fellow comrades here will help remove the Huk, as you call them, from your world. In return, I will need your help in the distance future for a massive war that is to come beyond your own world," said Vader with the Kaleesh Warlord nodding his head in acceptance.

"I accept. If what I saw just now from you and the others, we will be victorious in no time," said Qymaen jai Sheelal passionately.

"Good. Come! I sense a close associate of yours is in peril. If we don't act soon, I sense she will die," said Vader with Qymaen jai Sheelal's eyes going wide behind his mask.

"Ronderu lij Kummar," whispered Qymaen jai Sheelal while his eyes widened in horror at what Vader just said about the female Kaleesh.

"Yes. I know where she is. Let's hurry. Any further delay only increases her chance of death snatching your fellow warrior away," said Vader before motioning the Kaleesh Warlord and the others to follow him.

"Come my fellow brothers and sisters in arms! Follow this dark warrior and his comrades into battle. Let us purge the Huk from our home!" exclaimed Qymaen jai Sheelal with the other Kaleesh by his side following Vader, Ky Narec, and Ventress into the next battle.

"Are you certain about this?" asked Ky Narec while they used the Force to run toward their destination.

"If you knew just how skilled this Kaleesh was during the Clone Wars after what he was turned into, you wouldn't question my decision," said Vader knowing Ky Narec would have been shocked to know Grievous in his cybernetic form had killed quite a few Jedi during the Clone Wars.

Of course, Vader had no intention of turning Grievous into what he was in his timeline. It would be counter productive to getting the loyalty of the Kaleesh people and the Warlord in question. Not to mention it would make Vader feel like Sidious in terms of when the Sith Lord had him strapped to a table and put that damn suit on him.

Vader wanted to keep himself from feeling exactly like Sidious as much as possible.

When they group made it to the beaches, by the Jenuwaa Sea, they saw a female Kaleesh warrior being attacked on all sides by the Yami'rii (or Huk as the Kaleesh called them). It was clear the female Kaleesh would soon be overrun by the enemy and most likely killed as a result. None of the three Force users found that acceptable and quickly moved to aid the female warrior in her time of need. Behind them, Qymaen jai Sheelal let out a primal warrior cry, and rushed forward while firing his slug thrower with pinpoint accuracy.

The Yami'rii soon found themselves hit hard ruthlessly by the flank that was spearheaded by Vader, Ky Narec, Ventress, Qymaen jai Sheelal, and the Kaleesh warriors following them into another bloody battle. They soon sounded the retreat and tried to flee with most of them not surviving the onslaught of the Kaleesh chasing after them. When the battle was officially over, the Kaleesh warriors were all roaring with pride, and reveling in their victory over the enemy. They were even praising Vader, Ky Narec, and even the young Jedi Padawan Ventress for their assistance during the fighting.

They had truly earned themselves an ally this day.

(Coruscant-Jedi Temple-Jedi Temple)

 _This scheme of yours has failed, Lord Sidious. The blockade is finished. We dare not go against the Jedi._

 _Viceroy, I don't want to see this stunted slime in my sight again. This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans. Begin landing your troops._

 _My lord, is that... legal?_

 _I will make it legal._

 _And the Jedi?_

 _The Chancellor should never have brought them into this. Kill them immediately!_

(Sound of fast forwarding)

 _And Queen Amidala, has she signed the treaty?_

 _She has... disappeared, my lord. One Naboo cruiser got past the blockade._

 _I want that treaty signed!_

 _M-my lord, it-it's impossible to locate the ship. It's out of our range._

 _Not for a Sith._

 _[Darth Maul appears alongside Darth Sidious in the hologram]_

 _This is my apprentice, Darth Maul. He will find your lost ship._

 _[the hologram disappears]_

 _This is getting out of hand! Now, there are_ _ **two**_ _of them!_

 _We should not have made this bargain._

"No matter how many times I see these recordings, I feel disturbed by the fact we had the Sith living among us without our knowing," said Master Windu while many of the other Jedi in the room nodded.

"We were fortunate as it was to have the Sith apprentice killed considering how skilled he might have been to be sent to Naboo for the Queen in the first place. If allowed to live and progress in his skill, it wouldn't be long until the apprentice killed the Master in order to become the Master," said Master Mundi while the others nodded knowing the Master had to try again from scratch in teaching another.

Which would take time and thus put whatever plans the Sith had on hold until the time was right where both Master and apprentice could strike as one.

"Did you notice in the first transmission how the Sith Lord ordered the blockade without a hint of worry? As if it didn't matter whether it happened or not?" asked Master Poof with the Jedi nodding.

"I'm more concerned about what the Sith said afterwards. 'I will make it legal'. Meaning he has influence in the Senate. Enough influence to alter the laws to his advantage," said Master Plo Koon having studied the transmissions intently.

"I agree. Any law that would punish a Sith or their allies could be weakened or abolished if the Senate is provided a reason for it. We all know the Senate abolished the crime of being a Sith Lord shortly after the Ruusan Formation and the disbanding of the Army of Light," said Master Mundi while many knew the reason behind the change in policy was because everyone believed the Sith had been destroyed.

Why keep a Republic law that had no purpose? Even the Jedi at the time supported the decision since they were confident the Sith were gone.

"It is imperative we watch the Senate closely. Every Senator. Every representative. Every aid who assist them in day to day matters. This hidden Sith is either one of the Senators or is hiding in the shadows among them as a representative or aid," said Master Windu since it was the only way a Sith could influence the Senate.

"What about the Supreme Chancellor? One of his aides could be the Sith or a middle man for him and influence Palpatine," offered Eeth Koth knowing a newly elected Supreme Chancellor could be a possible target for the Sith to manipulate.

"We will have to stay close to the Senate and the Supreme Chancellor. However, we must make sure our plans are not made known to them. It will only risk making the Sith Lord go deeper underground or cover his tracks," said Master Windu while the other nodded in agreement.

"What of Darth Vader? Any word from our contacts throughout the Galaxy about the Sith Lord we know does exist?" asked Master Mundi with Master Plo Koon shaking his head.

"Nothing definitive. Just rumors about a masked robed man wielding a red blade when in combat. If the rumors do have a sliver of truth to them at all, they reveal this Sith Lord has been traveling through the Outer Rim and Wild Space at seemingly random intervals. He has also apparently modified his Nubian shuttle and, for the lack of better wording, given it more teeth in case it was ever caught in a fire fight," said Plo Koon before he brought up an image of the Nubian shuttle when presented to the Sith Lord and a crude image taken by pure luck from a contact of what it looked like now.

It was still the same smooth sleek design from which all Nubian transports were crafted, but like the Jedi Master stated, it had more teeth for a fight. The ship was now sporting several highly advanced blaster turrets, several proton torpedo tubes, and several other modifications designed to give it more maneuverability when in a fight.

Along with a few other modifications ranging from lethal to barely legal.

"From what our intelligence network has been able to determine, the name of the ship has been registered simply as _Angel's Sword_. We have contacted just about every Republic planet and spaceport with instructions to alert us the moment the ship enters their space," said Master Poof knowing the moment Vader's ship entered Republic space, they would be ready for him should he try something.

"We have received some additional reports and heard rumors about him that are even more disturbing. He has from what the rumors suggest...gained followers. Force sensitive followers," said Master Mundi gravely while the implication was not pleasant.

Vader was expanding the Sith Order.

"Can this be verified?" asked Master Windu with Mundi shaking his head no.

"Vague rumors for the most part. Vader has been said to be seen in the company two individuals who can only be described as another Jedi Knight and a young girl. Possibly the Jedi's apprentice given her own clothing is similar to the Jedi," said Plo Koon while the others didn't look convinced.

"He's rebuilding the old Sith Order. Instead of two, we might have to face an army of Sith Lords. As we did in the Jedi/Sith War," said Eeth Koth with some worry leaking out of his voice.

"We have to stop Vader immediately! If he somehow converts Jedi or Force sensitives to his cause, they will become Dark Jedi, or fully turned into Sith," stated Master Poof while the Jedi around him talked among themselves.

Only to be silenced when Master Yoda raised his hand.

"Disturbing this news is. Fearful we are of Vader's plans for the Galaxy. Make plans of our own, we must. Allies Vader is gathering. Support from the Galaxy he will find. Seek out our own friends and allies, we will," said Master Yoda calmly.

"But Master Yoda, this will take time. Vader doesn't have the means to fight the entire Jedi Order right now. If we strike first, we can stop him," said Eeth Koth while Yoda shook his head.

"Time spent gathering resources, not just to fight Vader. Coming storm I sense. Here on Coruscant I do. Go after Vader unprepared, exposed our flank will be. The hidden Sith will strike. Cripple us we shall become. Exposed to past enemies we will be," explained Yoda while sensing the Force was surrounding the Sith Lord with a sense of joy.

As if Vader's current actions were correcting mistakes that no one else seemed to notice or wanted to fix in the first place.

"Even if we wanted to stop him Master Koth, what would we charge him with? There is no crime in being a Sith Lord. Not anymore. And if a Sith Lord is controlling the Senate or part of it, getting such a motion passed into law is practically next to impossible," said Plo Koon while Master Koth sighed.

"We could send a team to the Outer Rim. Make up some excuse to send them in Vader's general direction and hope they can defeat him," said Master Poof offered.

"Who would we send? Master Dooku left the Jedi Order and no one has heard anything from Master Sifo-Dyas for quite some time. Jedi Knight Kenobi is still too young and too inexperienced to fight Vader a second time. I would wager this Sith Lord could defeat any group of Jedi we send against him," said Mundi, who along with some of the other Jedi within the Order, including Qui-gon, had begun to double their Lightsaber training to get back in shape.

"What about the Dark Woman?" asked Master Poof while Master Windu made a face.

"Can she be trusted? After her self imposed exile following the failure in training Aurra Sing to be a Jedi, I would assume the Dark Woman cut all ties with us" said Mace with Eeth Koth shaking his head.

"She will answer the call. The Dark Woman is odd, even by our standards, but loyal to the Jedi Order. Even if she has forsaken all attachments, the Jedi Order is still apart of her life. Not even one such as her can end such a connection," said Eeth Koth knowing the woman was loyal to the Jedi as she was to the Force.

"Surely we are not sending her against Vader alone?" asked Plo Koon knowing Vader was incredibly strong and dangerous to the point of where it would take a large group of well trained Masters to best him.

"Yes. But not to combat him. To spy on him. We need someone who can provide us with confirmed reports of his dealings and plans. The Dark Woman's skills in stealth have no equal in the Jedi Order," said Eeth Koth knowing the Dark Woman could vanish from their sight regardless if she was actually standing in front of you or not.

They just hoped this plan of theirs wouldn't come back to haunt them.

(A/N: YAY! Another super long chapter for my loyal readers. Yes. General Grievous is alive, well, intact, and not being manipulated like he was originally. From what I recall from the book Labyrinth of Evil, Grevious's mind's computerized enhanced brain was altered so his hatred for Jedi was highly amplified, and be the puppet of the Separatists to wield against them. Or something like that in any case. Not this time. Grievous will join the Separatist ranks, but not as the cyborg we all know and love/hate so he you haters of our fellow Jedi killer won't hate him too much now. Until next time...PEACE!)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5-Swelling Ranks

The Dark Woman looked at the planet Serenno with an analytical look and wondered if the Force was having her come here for a reason. It had been several years now that Jedi Master Dooku had renounced his position in the Jedi Order and returned to his home to become the Count and ruler of the planet. It was no secret the man had lost faith in the Jedi Order and thus went his own path where he felt his place had a purpose.

She snarled slightly at the idea of a Jedi leaving the Order. Quite a few had done so in the decades prior to this point in time. They felt the Jedi Order had lost its place or path in the Force and left to find it so they could one day return to share their knew found knowledge with the rest of the Jedi. They were traitors to the Jedi Order. To the Force. If it were up to her, the Dark Woman would have demanded their lives be ended as payment for such desertion.

While she had gone into exile herself, it was by choice, and due to the shame she brought the Jedi Order by training future Jedi killer Aurra Sing. Hers was a punishment. Theirs were not. Big difference.

Still, the Force had led her here. To Serenno. She had been tracking Vader for some time now per the command of the Jedi Council. Hearing how a Sith Lord had returned and had been the one responsible for Aurra Sing's death had brought the Dark Woman right out of exile. She was tasked with finding, following, and learning everything of value about Darth Vader at a distance when observing the Sith Lord in order to report these findings to the Jedi Council.

So far, she had seen him on Kalee, followed by several other Outer Rim worlds. Namely Dantooine, Yavin 4, Bothawui, and one planet called Honoghr. She would have looked into this planet further, but Vader had brought a fleet of Trade Federation warships with him. At first, she thought he was there to invade the planet to claim the resources bellow, but found some of the ships with Vader were surrounding what appeared to be a science vessel. In addition, only Vader's personal ship had left the science vessel and flew to the surface while the rest of this droid fleet stayed in orbit. She did not know what Vader did down on the planet, but sensed nothing evil was done while there for well over a week.

She sent a report to the Jedi Council to investigate the planet and what was down there in case Vader had obtained some ancient Sith knowledge or even resource he could use in the future. After the fleet left, the Dark Woman skillfully pursued them to other locations, and worlds long since lost to the Jedi Order.

Only to follow the Sith Lord here.

She managed to land her ship at the nearest spaceport and quickly went to the Count's palace to infiltrate it first to see if Vader had turned Dooku. If he had, the Dark Woman would have to report such a devastating blow to the Jedi Order. Perhaps even use her skills to end Dooku's life. While she did not wish to be an assassin of any kind, the Dark Woman did not wish to leave such a threat left unchecked to be used against the Jedi Order.

It also didn't help that Republic Intelligence had determined Count Dooku was the leader of the growing Separatist movement and had rallied quite a few planets to his side. It was also rumored that the Techno Union and Corporate Alliance were considering joining the Count's side due to their dislike of the Republic's laws strangling them economically.

"You have come a long way to my planet uninvited Jedi. I did not think it was your way to mask your presence and hide in the shadows," commented Dooku in his office from his chair shortly after the Dark Woman entered.

"I see your skills in the Force had not dulled in the slightest Master Dooku. Or should I refer to you as Count now? Or perhaps you have a Sith name and have cast aside all that the Jedi have taught you?" questioned the Dark Woman after she revealed herself.

"Sith? No. I am not one of them. Though I sense you do not believe me. No doubt your time following Vader until he arrived here provided you with such assumptions," said Dooku while seeing the Dark Woman was surprised her mission had been discovered by Vader so easily.

"So he knew I was following him," surmised the Dark Woman with Dooku smirking.

"You are good at hiding yourself from others my dear. But compared to someone like Vader, you are sadly an amateur in the field. The Sith have hidden themselves from the sight of the Jedi for 1,000 years. They have had ample practice," replied Dooku before he motioned her to sit in the chair in front of his desk, which she reluctantly took.

If only to be polite.

"And being his ally, he has graciously taught you this skill along with how to find those who use it," accused the Dark Woman with Dooku nodding.

"I cannot deny I have learned quite a few skills from Darth Vader. Nothing so nefarious as to use the Dark Side of the Force. Contrary to what the Jedi Order believes, there are _some_ skills in the Force that do not require alignment in the Light Side or the Dark Side," said Dooku while the Dark Woman couldn't deny that was indeed true.

"Darth Vader has been busy. I am surprised you didn't try to kill him the first day you met. It is and was your duty to the Jedi Order and the Force to rid the Galaxy of such an evil person," said the Dark Woman while Dooku chuckled in amusement.

"And what has Darth Vader done to mark himself as an evil person? He saved Naboo. He exposed the Yami'rii's plot to invade and conqueror their neighbors. I assume you saw the live broadcast of a special session of Congress with Master Sifo-Dyas speaking on behalf of the Kaleesh. No one expected a respected Jedi Master to appear just when the Yami'rii tried to make backdoor deals with certain Senators in the Senate to punish the Kaleesh for defending their home world. Even more so when he brought proof of the Yami'rii being the aggressors in the war," said Dooku knowing Vader had called in additional ships to defend the Kalee home world and used several holo-recording devices to expose the Yami'rii and their lies to the Senate.

Not to mention expose a few of those illegal dealings with certain Senators and getting them thrown out of their position. Further proving the Republic was corrupt and rotting from the inside, which resulted in quite a few planets to secede from the government. At the moment, they were officially independent, and thus no longer part of the Republic. But Dooku knew this action was a prelude to when the Separatists movement manifested itself into its true form of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Once this secondary galactic government was officially established, which would be in the future just a few more years away, those planets/systems would join it.

"You sense the Dark Side of the Force around him. Inside of him. He must be stopped and if necessary...killed," said the Dark Woman while Dooku raised an eyebrow.

"And yet, this Sith Lord has done more for the Galaxy in the last few years then the Jedi Order, if not the Republic have done in decades. Tell me Dark Woman, how is this Sith Lord evil with the deeds he has done?" questioned Dooku while the Dark Woman was frowning.

"All Sith are evil. The sooner you realize this, the better," said the Dark Woman while Dooku sighed in disappointment at her response.

"We could debate this on multiple levels Dark Woman, but now is not the time. You have come hunting for a Sith Lord and to spy on him. Only to come up short and are currently on my planet without proper clearance," remarked Dooku while the Dark Woman kept on giving the Count her usual scowl.

"I know you are working for a Sith Lord. An enemy of the Jedi. He is planning something horrible. Something big. Something that will shake the very foundation of the Galaxy. I did not take someone such as yourself to be a pawn of evil," said the Dark Woman while Dooku remained calm in the face of her insult.

In another timeline, under the teachings of Darth Sidious, the Count would have lashed out for hearing such an insult. But Vader had long since taught him to ignore such things as they are done to provoke such a response to further prove to the insulter that they were correct. Deny the response they were hoping for and Dooku could keep the conversation and the actions of those around him under his control.

Plus, it was undignified of a man in his position as a Count of Serenno to lash out over such a weak insult.

"Vader is traveling throughout the Galaxy to do what he wishes. It is his right as a person to do so despite being a Sith Lord. _You_ on the other hand have no right to spy on him nor arrest or kill him for being a Sith. I will ask you leave my home world and do not return unless I ask you to come back," said Dooku while the Dark Woman glared harder, but she obeyed his command...reluctantly.

"Master Yoda would be disappointed in you," said the Dark Woman before she left his office.

'While I do respect my old Master and his wisdom, I am far too old to feel any guilt in my actions, and the judgment from someone who fears change,' thought Dooku while hoping Yoda would see the method behind this madness and understand it had to be done.

"The plan is going along smoothly. Jango Fett now has what he wants and will not be a problem to sway to our side in providing the Republic with clones for the army. Though I did advise him not face Master Windu in open combat in the near future should the two meet," said Vader after coming out of the shadows with Dooku nodding.

"Considering the cloners on Kamino need Jango for his genetic material to make more of the army, it would be prudent for him to keep himself alive," said Dooku while looking over the reports from Vader's travels and the contacts he made in just few short years.

'Not to mention keeping his head,' thought Vader since he recalled Jango Fett being killed by losing his head to Windu's Lightsaber.

With his "son" Boba Fett watching and resulted in the boy learning to be like his "Father" in the Bounty Hunting profession. While Boba was good at it, just like Jango, it was his hatred of Jedi that drove the future bounty hunter to hunt Jedi. Vader believed if Jango were alive to nurture his "son", Boba would still be a great bounty hunter, the boy needed to be properly guided by his "Father". From what Vader had knew of Boba's time during the Clone Wars, the young man had been raised by various bounty hunters, and all of them had a beef with the Jedi Order. This allowed the bounty hunter's hate for the Jedi to grow and fester like an unwanted infection from a wound that never healed.

Vader had to make sure that didn't happen.

"Was your trip to Honoghr productive?" asked Dooku while the Sith Lord in front of him sat in the same chair the Dark Woman did.

"It was quite the visit. They tried to attack first and ask questions later. But I managed to convince them it was in their best interest to hear what I had to say," said Vader, who had used his powers to restrain the Noghri before asking to be speak to all the leaders of each clan together.

It had taken some time and effort, but Vader explained his purpose on planet to speak to them of a terrible plague that would rain down upon them in the future during a battle in space above their world. How the hazardous contents of the downed ship would poison the very land, the trees, the food, the water, and even the Noghri themselves. This would continue to happen until only a _fraction_ of the actual planet was livable. As such, Vader had brought a cure, an actual cure this time around, for the planet, and the Noghri people living on the planet. The cure was dispersed via gas containers to be sent high into the atmosphere while the Noghri themselves were given injections despite the reluctance they showed at first glance. Still, the threat of an impending war being waged above them, and the plague that would render their planet a near lifeless husk was not the kind of thing one could ignore. Even if the event didn't occur this time, Vader felt this was his chance to gain their loyalty ahead of time, and with more numbers in their populace in this timeline to make things far more effective for future events.

"The Dark Woman will no doubt have the Jedi Council investigate given how you went down to the planet personally," said Dooku with Vader smirking behind his mask.

"They can try, but anyone sent will most likely be killed by the Noghri. They are hunters through and through with skills, few even among the Jedi could match. Not to mention the fanatical loyalty I have obtained for helping them with a certain event that may or may not yet come to pass," said Vader with Dooku nodding.

"Indeed. How is the issue with Death Watch coming?" asked Dooku knowing the faction of Mandalorians could be an issue during the Clone Wars if left unchecked.

"They went well for the most part. The fool Pre Vizsla still believes Duchess Satine has to be killed either before or after the planet is taken over by Death Watch. I told him in our encrypted transmission that such an act would make the woman a martyr to all her supporters to form a resistance movement. One that would weaken Mandalore's growth even further. Something that should be avoided at all costs when the entire planet is under Death Watch's control," said Vader with the tone of his voice revealing he didn't like the Governor of Concordia.

"The term fool to describe the Governor is an understatement. I question whether or not the man is capable of leading Mandalorians once the planet has been taken. He might have to be... _removed_ before the governmental transition is fully completed," commented Dooku while Vader nodded in agreement.

"I have already considered this. The man's SIC within Death Watch is Bo-Katan. She is the sister of Duchess Satine Kryze. When the time comes, we can have Pre Vizsla taken out before placing Bo-Katan in his place to properly lead Mandalore and prepare them for the future," said Vader while he needed the Mandalorians to be a warrior race again so when the Far Outsiders did come, they would be well armed, trained, and ready for the war that was to come.

The only reason he didn't visit the Chiss Ascendency was due to the fact the Jedi Order were increasing their overall monitoring of his activities and by default so was Sidious. The last thing Vader needed was for his former Master to learn of Thrawn's existence or the Chiss Ascendency as a whole and try to add them into the Clone Wars.

"We can use this. If and when Mandalore is taken over by Death Watch, the Confederacy will back the change in government when Bo-Katan takes over. We can spin how she is a natural born leader, not unlike her sister. _However,_ we will also state Bo-Katan wishes to stay true to her proud Mandolorian heritage. Though we will have to make it seem like her predecessor did not die from foul play in order to keep any suspicions, accusations, and doubts from possibly splintering the Death Watch faction," commented Dooku while knowing Pre Vizsla's eventual death would have to look, feel, and ultimately be believed to be natural.

Anything else was unacceptable.

"Poison comes to mind. Something that looks natural, yet is untraceable. The trick will be getting it into his system in such a way that the poison doesn't arouse suspicion when his body is being examined," said Vader, but knew a properly trained and disciplined Noghri could get the job done if given the task.

"I trust you will look into it personally," said Dooku with Vader nodding.

"I already started before I even arrived on planet," said Vader while Dooku didn't look at all surprised the Sith was already planning for such a thing.

Vader was his secret General in all of this. Sidious was no doubt moving his own pieces within the Republic to stir the Senate for the eventual war and was well aware of Master Sifo-Dyas's actions in commissioning the clone army for the Republic. When the time was right, all Sidious had to do was cause an event capable of getting Kamino right in the crosshairs of the Republic, and the Jedi Order as a whole. It wouldn't take much for the Republic to quickly take control of the clone army since it was _officially_ commissioned by the Jedi Order under Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas to be used by the Republic.

Even if the Jedi Council did deny it was not authorized by them, it would only make them look foolish and incompetent in not keeping one of their own in line. They would have to falsely admit to the clone army's secret commission and say it was made in order to stop the growing threat they sensed from the Separatists.

(Jedi Temple)

"Very good Anakin. Your skills with a Lightsaber are progressing nicely," praised Qui-gon while seeing his student using Form II Lightsaber style.

"Thank you Master. I have been putting in extra hours into my training to further improve myself," said Anakin before he quickly moved from Form II to Form V Lightsaber style in an instant.

"And it shows. I am very proud of you. Not many students dedicate themselves as hard as I have seen with you," said Qui-gon while Anakin clearly appreciated his praise and the smile on the boy's face showed as much.

"You will give him a swelled head Master," commented Obi-wan after walking into the room to see the two in it.

"On the contrary Obi-wan, anyone who pushes themselves like Anakin does should be praised for their efforts. Anyone can do the 'required' training regiment set for us, but to give more then required deserves the extra praise," said Qui-gon while seeing his former student scowl slightly and glance over at the now tired Anakin wiping sweat from his forehead.

"It will lead to arrogance Master. He should be kept humbled," said Obi-wan with Qui-gon scowling now.

"And by humbled, you are referring to negative reinforcement that his efforts are never good enough? Even when they are?" questioned Qui-gon with Obi-wan wincing at the silent accusation.

"He is dangerous Master. The entire Jedi Council senses it. Why don't you?" questioned Obi-wan in a whispered tone while Qui-gon struggled to keep his patience with how his former Padawan acted over the issue of his current one.

"We have been over this before Obi-wan. Anakin's future is _uncertain_. The Force wishes it to be so. That does not make him dangerous until you set things in motion that could make him dangerous. I am guiding Anakin in a way he should be guided given his past and ensuring any such arrogance doesn't take root within him," said Qui-gon since he had this argument with many Jedi Masters about how to train the boy.

Some said the boy needed to constantly be kept down or his potential suppressed until he was in an older age group where it could be allowed to flourish without question. Some of the hardliners within Jedi Order had even said the boy was too dangerous to be a Jedi at all given his past along with the Sith threat looming over them and petitioned to cut the boy off from the Force entirely. Qui-gon had been very furious with those individuals who had made such a petition. Though he was surprised and pleased when the entire Jedi Council agreed with him over the petitioners. Cutting someone off from the Force was rarely ever done in the history of the Jedi Order and only to the worst offenders of the Jedi Order itself. To do such a thing to an innocent boy, whose only crime here was being born was not only wrong, it went against the Jedi Order as a whole.

Qui-gon was just glad those hardliners were shut down in their petition before any of them could gain any kind of support within the Jedi Order.

"Anyone else would say you were coddling him," countered Obi-wan while knowing full well that Qui-gon had taken Anakin to Naboo to visit the boy's Mother just last month.

"And I could say I was the same way with you Obi-wan. In fact, had I not requested you become my student when I did, you would have been sent to the Jedi AgriCorps. Not only that, but I have given you considerable leeway during our time together, did I not?" said Qui-gon with Obi-wan trying to sputter up some kind of defense.

And coming up short.

It was true that Obi-wan had nearly been sent to the Jedi AgriCorps. and it was only due to Qui-gon choosing him at the last possible moment did the now Jedi Knight not spend his days attending to the crops on some distant world. And yes, it was true that Qui-gon did give him leeway when any other Jedi Master would have scolded the Padawan for his actions.

But to see the same leeway, if not more of it, being given to his former Master's newest Padawan, who became one faster then Obi-wan himself, made the man feel jealous for some reason. It wasn't the Jedi way to feel jealousy over the issue, but Obi-wan could not help it. The boy was reckless, dangerous, and unpredictable at the worst of times. Many Jedi Masters felt the boy should have been denied entrance into the Jedi Order despite the fact several Jedi in the past who were older had become Jedi. Obi-wan did not deny the rules were a woven tapestry of hypocrisy at times, but there was clearly a reason behind it, and the Jedi Knight was not one to question the rules made by the Jedi Council since they were working.

"Just...don't give him too much leeway Master. He might get you killed," said Obi-wan before walking away from the two.

"Master, you don't believe I would do that, right?" asked Anakin while afraid the Jedi Master would listen to his old Padawan's words and keep him at arms length.

"No Anakin. Contrary to Obi-wan's own misplaced worries, I have no such fear. Do you know why?" asked Qui-gon with Anakin shaking his head no.

"No," answered Anakin.

"Its because I believe in you. I see greatness in you. Now before you think that makes you all powerful, or completely invincible, it doesn't. I see you becoming a great Jedi so long as you put in the effort. Do not be arrogant with your powers and abilities. Many Jedi far more wiser and powerful then myself have fallen in battle because they were arrogant. They believed nothing could hurt them. But there are things in this Galaxy that can hurt us. That can kill us," said Qui-gon while kneeling so he was the child's eye level.

"Like the Sith?" asked Anakin with Qui-gon nodding.

"Yes. And other things. Things just as old if not older then the Sith. It is why we train and hone our skills. Both with the Lightsaber and the Force. I want to see you reach your full potential Anakin. So long as I am alive, I will do everything in my power to see that you do. However, I do not want you to think just because you have all this power, it makes you, or should make you into some kind of God. It doesn't," said Qui-gon with Anakin nodding.

"I understand Master," said Anakin with Qui-gon smiling at his student.

"I know you do. Come along, I think its time I helped you learn some of the languages I picked up during my travels throughout the Galaxy. There may come a time when you need a protocol droid, but there isn't one around," replied Qui-gon knowing the boy was making great progress in the physical aspects of his training.

It was time to focus on the mental.

(Supreme Chancellor's Office)

Sidious scowled at the latest report from one of his agents off planet. Kalee had not fallen in an attack by the Yami'rii like Sidious had hoped. The Sith had long since provided the insect based species with the means to expand out of their own territory in the hopes they would target Kalee. Which they did. But that was only part of the plan. The next part was for the Kaleesh to repel the Yami'rii and take the fight to their world. As a result of this counter attack, the Yami'rii would go to the Senate, and plead for help. Sidious himself had already planned for the Senate to side instantly with the Yami'rii in order to make the Kaleesh hate the Republic. When the Clone Wars started, Sidious planned for Kalee to side against the Republic, and acquire a few promising members of their species to be his Generals.

Once his puppets obeying his command under his Sith persona were ready, they along with other systems would break away from the Republic. He had planned to use San Hill to arrange a meeting with the Techno Union and Corporate Alliance. All in order to make an army of new and improved battle droids that would be far superior to the old ones the Trade Federation once employed. Once these new battle droids were ready for being mass produced, they would be able to fight on near equal terms with the clone army that the Republic would soon have a little over half a decade from now.

 _THAT_ was the plan. Now? His hopes of such a thing were lost. It seemed his initial plan following Maul's demise to recruit Count Dooku to the Sith Order had failed. Worse, the man was doing what Sidious wanted him to do, but without Sidious holding the leash to keep the man's actions in check. He had tried many times to contact Dooku on Serenno both as Sidious and Palpatine with no success for either persona.

It was becoming annoying.

Worse, the Geonosians were falling into line with Dooku's way of ignoring the Sith Lord as well. Sidious had tried to contact them to commission their help in making his ultimate creation that was the Death Star. But the damn insects wanted nothing to do with him as Darth Sidious. He wouldn't be surprised if his Chancellor Palpatine persona was equally given a cold shoulder should an attempt at contacting them were made.

Again, Sidious blamed Dooku for this. He had hoped Poggle the Lesser would want to make such a wonderful weapon such as the Death Star. Such a technological entity would no doubt appeal to the Geonosians and their industrious ways. But for some odd reason, the Archduke refused to speak to him in any sense of the word and wouldn't give a reason as to why.

It seemed all his key players for his future Separatist Faction all knew something about him that made those fools stay far away from his presence. Why they didn't know that Palpatine and Sidious were one and the same, it was clear they were told to stay clear of both. As if someone had told them something Sidious didn't want them to know and it was making his future pawns refuse to do business with him.

It was slowly becoming infuriating.

The only good news was the clones were coming along nicely. Admittedly, Jango Fett was the ideal choice for the clone template for the army. It was actually ironic in a way since the Mandalorians had long since wished for one final crusade against the Galaxy. With the Duchess of Mandolore installing a pacifist based policy, the chance of them launching their own campaign from the home planet was impossible. He would have to provoke the rogue faction Death Watch to take the planet back and get them to being a warrior like race again. But that was far into the future and only if Sidious needed them to be that way in order to cause further problems for the Jedi.

'Curse you Plagueis. Curse you and the Force for bringing this new Sith into the Galaxy to destroy me. I will make you pay for this one way or another. You, the Jedi, Vader, and the Force itself will pay for defying me!' thought Sidious with his rage barely being kept in check.

(Elsewhere in the Galaxy-4 Months Later)

He lay broken. Beaten. Never had someone bested him like this. Not in over 2,000 years of his life. Neither Jedi, Mandolorian, nor Sith had ever beaten him so badly. He gurgled in pain behind his armored face and struggled to get up, but found his enemy had used his damn power to pin him to the ground. Every time he tried to rise, his enemy would push him back down even harder, and do it multiple times per attempt so his body went deeper into the ground.

"Fitting, isn't it Durge. That you should fall by my hands. A Sith Lord's hands. You are a threat to the Galaxy. Sadly, the Jedi wouldn't kill you. Only imprison you until one day came where you successful escaped and killed again. A mistake on their part of course, but Jedi do tend to make that a habit after believing no one can destroy their Order after 1,000 years. Don't you agree?" mocked Vader while Durge threw several curses at him in his native tongue.

"You will pay for this Sith. I will not and cannot die. Nothing can kill me! Not even your precious Force," countered Durge with Vader chuckled.

"Perhaps the powers the Force gives Sith and Jedi cannot kill you. Stop you? Yes. Detain you? Yes. Hurt you? Definitely yes. But kill you? No. Not without a great deal of proper, what is the word I should use? E _xperimentation_? Trial and error really. Unfortunately for you Durge, I already know how to kill you. Funny how using the most simplest of Force powers when put together can make killing someone such as you so easily," said Vader before he used the Force to compress Durge's boneless body into ball that was kept in place through the bounty hunter's own armor.

"Stop! What are you doing? You can't do this! Stop! I am Durge. I am the greatest bounty hunter the Galaxy has seen for the last 2,000 years! I have killed Jedi, Sith, and countless other species. I will not be bested by the likes of you!" bellowed Durge before he was utterly silenced within his own armor now turned into a metal orb and the bounty hunter now trapped in it.

"Goodbye Durge," commented Vader before put the orb in a disabled escape pod before he crushed it into a ball over the one that held Durge and used the Force to send it into space toward the nearby Star of the system.

With his task complete, Vader went toward his own shuttle when his comlink beeped, and he answered it.

"Vader here," said Vader while seeing it was Master Sifo-Dyas.

"Lord Vader, I think we have a problem," said Sifo-Dyas with a hint of worry in his voice.

"Explain," commanded Vader knowing if what the Jedi Master was contacting him now, it was a problem.

"I went to Dathomir with Ky Narec and Ventress like you asked in order to speak to the Nightsisters and Mother Talzin. But when we got there, it was met with open hostility. We only survived because Ventress is apparently Mother Talzin's daughter," said Sifo-Dyas while Vader knew this, which was why he had Ventress go with the two Jedi to speak to the woman.

"That doesn't explain the problem," said Vader with Sifo-Dyas sighing over the comlink for a second.

"From what Mother Talzin explained, after thanking Ky Narec for raising Ventress in her absence, a certain _Sith Lord_ paid Dathomir a visit about a month ago. He wasn't exactly there to play nice. He attacked several of the Nightsister Clans for information related to a certain Zabrak you killed on Naboo," explained Sifo-Dyas while Vader narrowed his eyes.

"Let me guess, Sidious wants another so called apprentice to train. No doubt for the war he intends to start and use against the Jedi. Maybe even against Dooku in order to take control of the Separatist. Someone with Maul's animalistic potential, yet will obey the commands of his Master when given orders. Like a good pet," commented Vader while sensing Sifo-Dyas was nodding in agreement.

"My thoughts exactly. Apparently, Maul had had family. Brothers. Two of them. From what we learned through our investigation on the issue, Sidious found them. He killed the youngest named Feral and took the older of the two. The Zabrak taken goes by the name of Savage Opress. Sidious had convinced Mother Talzin to use her Force magic on him to bring about his full physical potential so the Sith training he endured would be harsher then Maul's, but make Savage stronger at the same time," said Sifo-Dyas while Vader let out a noise of annoyance.

'Stronger then Maul, but weaker than Sidious. That brings back memories,' thought Vader knowing what it was like to be the second most powerful Force user in the Galaxy while serving the future Emperor of the Galactic Empire.

"Only after the process was completed did a Nightsister from one of the clans came in and told Mother Talzin what Sidious had done to obtain Savage. A fight broke out and the Sith escaped with his prize," said Sifo-Dyas with Vader scowling.

"Contact Dooku. Tell him to up his training. While I have no doubt his Lightsaber skills are still sharp, Savage Opress is going to come at him with sheer brute strength. Sidious wants his new pet to take control of the Separatists movement and the droid army when the time comes. I have no doubt Sidious will send Savage after Dooku in a few years time when enough training has been done," said Vader while knowing Sidious would take the next few years to train Savage to use his new found strength against the ever increasingly aging Count to overpower him.

Vader knew this because it was how he bested Dooku using his youth and power to best the skilled former Jedi Master in his timeline. Overwhelming strength and power.

"I will contact Count Dooku right away. In the meant time, Mother Talzin wishes to form an alliance with us. In return for the promise that we kill Sidious for his actions against her and the Nightsisters," said Sifo-Dyas with Vader nodding.

"Consider it done. Sidious is going to die by the end of the impending war. I guarantee it," said Vader firmly and knew the Nightsisters of Dathomir could be a crucial ally in the distant future against far more powerful enemies.

(Jedi Temple-Jedi Council Chambers)

"So the Sith Lord knew you were following him. Which means Vader doesn't truly fear us knowing what planets he has been visiting. Or he is making us follow him knowing it would waste our resources," surmised Master Windu with a frown on his face while he stared at the Dark Woman.

"And he has been teaching some aspects of his skills to others if Dooku detecting her is any indication," said Master Koth while many nodded.

"What interests me is the planet Honoghr. You said he went there with a fleet of formerly owned Trade Federation ships?" asked Master Mundi with the Dark Woman nodding.

"His personal ship left the science vessel from what my ship's scans detected of the fleet the Sith Lord had with him. I shutter to think what vile creations he had created onboard it," said the Dark Woman while she firmly believed that the science vessel among Vader's fleet was a floating bio weapons lab.

Since it was manned by droids, the risk of a plague getting out, and taking over the ship before killing the crew was nonexistent.

"Unless we provide hard evidence of this, the Senate along with the Supreme Chancellor will be unable to act against him. Not to mention the fleet you say is in his possession will protect him until a para military fleet can be put together to combat it," said Mundi while leaving out how the Sith had time to no doubt modify or upgrade the fleet he now possessed.

"What is concerning is so many have flocked to his side. First Dooku, Ky Narec, the man's apprentice, and Master Sifo-Dyas. His presence in the Senate regarding the issue with the Kalee and Yami'rii was clearly arranged by Vader to prevent the Senate from siding against the Kalee," said Master Poof with many nodding.

"Not that we could prove it. Still, only Vader would try something to get the Senate to side with the Kalee over the Yami'rii. From what I sensed in the Senate that day, they were planning to side with the Yami'rii completely with almost no hesitation, if not for Master Dyas's interference," said Eeth Koth while recalling his time with Master Yoda in the Senate and seeing the deliberations.

How they had sensed the Senate's intentions from the start. Hearing how they planned to deal with the issue with the Yami'rii and the Kalee with the Yami'rii claiming they were being ruthlessly slaughtered by the thousands. How they had done nothing to deserve such suffering at the hands of their warring neighbors. It had made Eeth Koth look away in disgust while Master Yoda looked on with a frown on his ancient face.

Only for Master Sifo-Dyas to show up with a female Kalee warrior in a Senatorial hover chair that once belonged to the Trade Federation. Imagine everyone's surprise by the Jedi Master's sudden appearance with the Kalee warrior and how they claimed the Yami'rii were lying to the Senate. At first, the Yami'rii denied they were lying, which Eeth Koth sensed the insect representative was doing the entire time.

But Sifo-Dyas turned their lies against them easily and explained how the Kalee couldn't have invaded the Yami'rii first like they were being accused of doing. For one, Vader had kept them from doing so when such advanced ships had been captured for use. The Sith Lord had explained to the warlords of Kalee that the Yami'rii (or the Huk as they were called) had powerful friends in the Galactic Republic. They would go to the Senate to obtain additional support while portraying the Kalee as violent barbarians and should be brought to heel under Republic thumb. While the Kalee wanted to do things their way in terms of destroying their vile enemy, Vader told them there were other ways to punish the Yami'rii for their vile actions.

Which was why he had Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas go with Ronderu lij Kummar to Coruscant to bring the Kalee's side of the story to the Senate. It wasn't hard since all Master Sifo-Dyas had to do was explain the to the Senate the Kalee were defending their world from the invading insect species. The Jedi Master explained how the Kalee race didn't have the necessary space flight technology the Yami'rii did. The only way the Kalee could get off world during the fighting was if they captured invading Yami'rii ships. To further prove the Yami'rii were lying, Sifo-Dyas had shown a recording of Yami'rii ships landing and soldiers attacking the Kalee.

Eeth Koth was almost wishing the Yami'rii representative could show facial humanoid expressions when the footage revealing the sheer number of lies the insect race had been feeding the Senate.

In the end, the Senate had done a complete turn around. Where they were about to bring the hammer down on the Kalee people, it was now being done to the Yami'rii instead. The demanded sanctions and reparations be made upon them would cripple the insect species for years, thinning the population, and bringing them to ruin.

Something which had pleased Ronderu lij Kummar greatly while glaring daggers at the Yami'rii representative. Master Koth also wondered who a Qymaen jai Sheelal was that the female Kalee warrior mentioned in passing and if this person was another ally of the Sith.

He still remember how Master Dyas had approached them after it was all over.

(Flashback-Republic Senate Building)

"Master Yoda. Master Koth," said Sifo-Dyas politely.

"Master Dyas, good to see you it is," said Yoda with a gentle smile.

"I concur. We have missed you my friend," said Eeth Koth while Dyas smiled, but it did not truly meet his eyes.

"I wish the feeling were mutual and genuine among the entire Order," said Sifo-Dyas and saw both Masters frown.

"Surely you don't resent us?" questioned Eeth Koth while Sifo-Dyas shook his head.

"You? No Master Koth. I hold no ill will toward you or Master Yoda. I just wish that...," said Master Dyas before sighing.

"That we listened to your warnings, we did?" questioned Yoda with Master Dyas nodding in his head.

"I gave ample warning Master Yoda. I saw it. The darkness. Consuming everything it touched. Like a mixture of a black hole sucking in the light and a plague spreading to destroy everything else down to nothing. What did the Jedi Council do? They kicked me off the Council," said Master Dyas with Yoda made a noise.

"So why side with Vader? Isn't he the darkness your visions showed? If not part of it?" asked Eeth Koth while Sifo-Dyas shook his head no.

"No. I admit, at first, I thought he was the darkness my vision. But after meeting with him, talking with him, and seeing beyond the norm...the other Sith is the one I saw in my vision," answered Sifo-Dyas while Yoda looked at him with those sagely, yet piercing eyes.

"Ally with one Sith to end another, you do," commented Yoda while the Jedi Master in front of him shrugged.

"What would you have me do Master Yoda? Sit in the Jedi Temple, on one of the cushy sofa chairs? Twiddling my thumbs while the darkness spreads? Let people suffer? Let people die? Let corruption spread rampant and do nothing? Let the evil the Jedi Order has sworn to fight get so strong that in a few years time, it will have the power to crush us?! No. I will not be silent. I will not be idle. I will not sit somewhere doing nothing when my skills are better used elsewhere in the Galaxy. I tried to warn you and the other Jedi Masters in the Council that day. To raise an army needed to defend the light. Defend the Republic. Or at least the principles that once made the Republic so great before the very corruption in the Senate now possesses within has nearly crippled it," said Sifo-Dyas while Yoda's ears drooped and another noise he made.

"You risk your very life when around Darth Vader. Can't you see that? His darkness will spread like a disease and eventually infect you and anyone else that gets too close to him over time," said Eeth Koth while Sifo-Dyas shook his head.

"I knew what I was getting into when I sided with Vader. At least he is doing something about the injustice throughout the Galaxy. Meanwhile, the rest of the Jedi Order sits in its comfy temple and ignoring the plights of others. Honestly Master Yoda, when was the last time the Jedi Order actually did something outside of the command of the Senate?" said Master Dyas with Yoda being unusually silent on the matter.

"You know how things are Master Dyas. The Ruusan Formation was designed to have us relinquish the power we held in order to prevent it from corrupting us," said Eeth Koth while the Jedi in front of him shook his head.

"And instead of corrupting us, it has slowly corrupted the Senate. With the hidden Sith Lord at the heart of it. You can continue to be the puppets of the Senate and the Sith by extension Master Koth. _I_ will not. A time will come where lines will be drawn and sides will be chosen. When that happens, you better hope the side you are on is the right one," said Master Dyas before walking away from the two saddened Jedi Masters with Ronderu lij Kummar right beside him.

"Master Yoda?" questioned Eeth Koth while seeing the aged Jedi Master next to him seem to age further.

"Failed Master Dyas, we have. Not wrong in some of his accusations, he is. Fear change, we do. Fear what we no longer understand, the Jedi now do. Must relearn what we have unlearned," said Master Yoda while walking away.

"How?" asked Eeth Koth while Master Yoda smiled slightly at him.

"Visit the archives we will. Relearn what we already know and add to our knowledge of what we know now, it will," answered Master Yoda before walking off in the direction of the Jedi Temple.

(End Flashback)

Master Koth still remembered how some members of the Jedi Council were completely against Master Yoda's decision to open up the archives to review what they had on the Sith of old. Some of them had felt that if it wasn't already dangerous, it was pointless due to the information being 1,000 years outdated. With the way things were going Eeth felt the Jedi would soon be overwhelmed by the war Sifo-Dyas had hinted was coming with the darkness.

From what he was seeing with the Jedi Order splintering in such a way made him rethink Master Dyas's words and the warning behind them. The Jedi Order was not what it once was when compared to 1,000 years ago or farther back to the days of say Darth Revan. The teeth the Jedi once had in previous years had dulled, rotted, and fallen out with many of the Jedi seeking to use words over weapons. In fact, Koth had seeing the number of Guardian Class Jedi were on the dangerously low side while the Consular Class Jedi were unusually high. The only one close to being average in terms of numbers among their own class were the Jedi Sentinel Class, but it was still on the low side.

When addressing this before the Jedi Council, Eeth found himself sensing the other Jedi Consulars on the Jedi Council were unhappy with him mentioning it. He explained how the number of Guardians were lower over their other two counterparts and numbers in each Class needed to be more evenly balanced. The various Jedi Consulars argued against this since they felt their purpose was needed in trying to probe the Veil of the Dark Side and seeing the future now more then ever despite the fact they couldn't see things clearly at all. They even went as far as to actually call Guardian Class Jedi to be war like and at times hungering for battle despite the history of Guardian Class saying otherwise. Eeth had countered saying that while diplomacy was all well and good, not everyone listens to it, and with the growing Separatists movement coming, the need for Guardians should be growing if their was a war.

The debate raged back and forth between the two sides until Master Yoda stepped in and put his tiny, yet no less intimidating foot down (stick included) before saying the matter would be looked into by him. But that wasn't what concerned Koth. What concerned him was how he sensed the uneasiness within the other Consular Class Jedi among their group and wondered why they were feeling that way.

Shaking such thoughts away on the matter, Jedi Master Koth decided to focus on their intelligence network trying to monitor Darth Vader's movements.

(Planet Zygerria-Sometime Later)

"Is the army ready?" asked Vader to the battle droid behind him while staring out at the planet in front of him.

"Yes Lord Vader. All troops are assembled and awaiting your orders," said the nasally challenged voice of the battle droid that was once operated by the Trade Federation.

Only they had been given upgrades (to an extent) in order to make them more...useful. It had taken a lot of time, effort, and determination. But the end result were battle droids that wouldn't fall at the slightest hit with the poorest A.I. program imaginable. Now he had a competent fighting force of battle droids. Or at least until the Techno Union created the new more improved battle droids Dooku had commissioned them to make in secret for the impending (yet unknown to many) war.

"Good. Make sure all the slaves on the planet are left unharmed. Anyone owning a slave, selling a slave in the market, or anyone holding a means to control a slave is to be shot dead," said Vader coldly while the droid commander nodded.

"Roger! Roger!" exclaimed the battle droid before it set out to obey the command.

While his droid army set out to do what he ordered, Vader himself looked at the planet below with narrowed angry eyes filled with hate. How he _loathed_ this planet. Almost as much as Tatooine and that was saying something. This planet was the heart of a slavery empire at one point before the Jedi crushed it. Only now, after so many years was this planet's government slowly building up their power base once more, and using slaves to do it.

Vader hated slavery. So did Anakin Skywalker. It was one of the few things both had in common together. For Anakin, it reminded him of his life as a slave, and how said life's value was considered worthless. To Vader, it reminded him of his enslavement to his former Master, and how he was too weak to break such chains that bound him to Sidious.

He would have to change that. This planet should have been free of slaves after the Jedi came here. They should have killed every single slave supporter or hunted them down until there were no pro slavery people on the planet. Instead, the enslaving of others was allowed to continue again. Even more so during the Clone Wars with the Jedi Order's own ranks having been spread so thin at the time.

But not this time. Not on Vader's watch.

This was a planet that would be ruled by soon to be former slaves. Vader would march on this planet, kill every enslaver, every slave owner, and anyone related to them. He would burn down this budding slave empire and turn it into something grand. Something where those who were slaves were no longer slaves. Those who had no hope, no life, and felt no form of freedom to choose now having all three on a world to call their own.

The time of slavery was now over. A new age of freedom was about to begin. And it was Darth Vader himself, who would spearhead it.

Turning around, he headed for his ship to personally land on the planet in order to handle this planet himself. Memories of his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano being treated as one of these slaves burning in his mind and the Queen of the slave promoting filth believing her methods if used on Jedi would enslave them. Bend them. Mold them to her whims and wishes. Bah! Foolish woman. Right now, said woman was no doubt still a girl, not a woman for a little less than a decade from now, and was no doubt a Princess among her people.

Darth Vader would make sure she didn't live long enough to reach the position of Queen.

(Coruscant-Weeks Later)

Like the rest of the Galaxy, word had reached them of Zygerria's fall. How Darth Vader himself led to the sacking of each city on the planet. One by one, they fell by his superior numbers, tactics, and overall command of his battle droids that at one point were used by the Trade Federation. From what reports they could obtain and the Holo New Network was able to obtain and report, the Sith Lord had attacked without mercy. Every slaver, buyer, and owner of slaves on the planet were rounded up before being killed. The order given by the Sith Lord himself and the battle droids carrying it out to the letter.

As to the slaves themselves? Each one had been freed. The tracking chips they possessed in their bodies were found, deactivated, and removed one by one much to their relief. At the same time, Vader had become temporary ruler of the planet until a proper government was established. One where there was a central figure leading it, but one that listened to the Will of the people, and had laws that kept the very notion of slavery from sprouting up within the planet.

All in all, it left many divided on the subject. Many felt what Vader took measures into his own hands and shouldn't have acted so rashly. Some felt it should have been done sooner. Especially with a world such as Zygerria where its history was written with the blood, sweat, and tears of slaves. When word reached the rest of the Galaxy of the planet being invaded, Holo Net reporters who were well versed in traveling to harsh places for a story swarmed Zygerria like moths to a flame. Many were expecting war torn cities, all destroyed by the fighting, and the people struggling to rebuild itself.

Imagine the surprise of the reporter, the Jedi, and the Republic at large when they saw none of that was the case. Construction droids were deployed in every city. Rebuilding what was destroyed during the battles that occurred and the people, all former slaves, were living quite nicely under Vader's temporary rule. There was no food shortages. No diseases. No pain. No suffering. The battle droids used to conqueror the planet weren't even out in force as one would suspect. Instead, Vader had placed slaves, who once acted as bodyguards for their now late slave Masters as part of the police force in each city. He had former slaves who were assigned to doing house chores, running the household while their former Masters were away, and raising the children of slave owners place in needed governmental administrative jobs.

New schools to teach these newly freed slaves were already being constructed to help them learn and hospitals were being built to help keep the risk of diseases and injuries down. Vader even made several broadcasts to the different cities of Zygerria providing updates on the progress of making the planet strong to open trade with other planets.

By this point, no one knew what to make of Darth Vader. Some called him a tyrant. A warlord seeking to place his own mark on the planet by force before seeking a reason to invade other planets. Others saw him as a savior. A beacon of hope for slaves everywhere in the Galaxy. Someone who was not bound by the rules of the Republic or the Jedi Order itself. No. This was a man on mission. A man who was not afraid to fight against those who supported slavery and used the laws of their planet or system to get away with it.

Dark Vader was proving he was a man who could not be bought. Which was proven time and time again when video of the Sith Lord being offered bribery of all kinds by some of the prisoners obtained during the invasion to let them go. The video showed Vader taking the bribe, but not letting the slaver owners, buyers, and sellers go. No. He declared their bribery that of blood money and killed them for all to see and hear. Vader had wanted it known to everyone in the Galaxy that he could not, would not, be bought by anyone, and that anyone dealing in slavery trying to buy their way out of things would be put to death.

Naturally, his actions stirred up the Galaxy into a frenzy. Some of the people killed by his hands or his battle droids came from powerful families. Families who knew politicians in the Senate and even those among the bounty hunters that made a living in the Outer Rim.

Some who had been to Zygerria before and enjoyed the pleasures such slaves provided them in addition to the credits the now former government had provided them for their services. So it was no real surprise to Vader when the bounty hunters and assassins made themselves known to him in trying to collect on the price his head now held from those powerful influential families.

Only for those same bounty hunters and assassins to die horrible agonizing deaths with their heads sent back to those influential families. As a result, instead of ruining Vader's reputation, it only thrived, and became even greater in terms of influence. All over the Outer Rim, pro slave planets were facing destabilization with slave revolts being stirred up with Vader being a symbol of their rebellion.

In the eyes of slaves everywhere, Darth Vader was a hero. A hero of the oppressed. A hero to the slaves.

And all the while, Vader went on to denounce Republic, its corrupt Senate, and even the Jedi Order being ineffective in protecting the helpless. The Sith Lord even went so far as to call the Jedi Order the puppets of the Senate, stating they were listening to the greedy wishes of bloated bureaucrats in the Senate over the Will of the Force. That they chose to let such injustice happen in the Outer Rim while hearing the cries of the oppressed, yet stay in their cozy Jedi Temple, and living their lives in total ignorance.

He certainly made an impression on the Galaxy and the Republic.

As such, factions within the Senate demanded action be done against this possible threat the Sith Lord represented. If allowed to continue, some feared he would become his own power into the Galaxy, and threaten the Republic if allowed to grow.

Something Darth Sidious used to his advantage under his Supreme Chancellor Palpatine persona in appeasing the Senate's various factions.

(Coruscant-Senate Building)

"Senators! Senators! I ask you to remain calm. As I speak, the Jedi Order has been asked to investigate this issue personally. As you know, the Jedi Order have experience dealing with the Sith in the past. I am confident they can deal with this one," said Palpatine while many in the Senate (the ones he had manipulated before now) were calling on him to do something about Vader.

"Chancellor Palpatine. I must protest the Jedi seeking to hunt down Lord Vader!" came the voice of Senator Gume Saam from the planet Tibrin.

"Senator Gume Saam, you do not have the floor," said Palpatine while the Senator's floating chair came closer.

"I must still protest. This Sith Lord has done much for the people along the Outer Rim. First he freed your home planet from the Trade Federation's illegal invasion. Second, he freed slaves on a slavery promoting world. Third, the people who were once slaves now have lives of free people. My people believe he should be left alone to continue his work throughout the Galaxy," said Senator Gume Saam while deciding to side with Vader due to his associates in the Techno Union making it known that the Sith Lord has had quite an invested interest in them.

They made it very clear to the Senator that he should support the Sith Lord in his various campaigns and defend his actions.

Throughout the Senate, Gume Saam heard various Senators mumbling in agreement at his words since many of them had seen the good in Vader's actions. Many had opposed slavery, as it was clear violation of Republic law to own, buy, or sell one in Republic space. Unfortunately, there were loop holes to those laws. Some big. Some small. One big loophole was if someone bought or owned a slave outside of Republic space, you could bring them with you into Republic space, and they would _still_ be a slave. It was not illegal to own a slave so long as said slave was bought on a world that didn't belong to the Republic. Another tiny loophole slave owners tend to exploit on the more stricter worlds within the Republic was they didn't call slaves the word at all, but were given the title of "indentured servants". Everyone knew such a title was a load of garbage, but was difficult to prove, and even more expensive to try proving it.

What Darth Vader had done was help land a serious blow to such an illegal business and on a world considered to the main hub for such things.

"Even still, this Sith Lord is a danger to the Galaxy as a whole. From what the Jedi have informed me about the Sith in general, they are a dangerous war mongers. They thrive on the suffering of others and this one will be no different. Just because he aided several of the Outer Rim worlds does not mean Darth Vader is a good man. He will use this to build up his forces to create an empire and use it to make the people within it fight for him on a near fanatical level," said Bail Organa of Alderaan with several Senators agreeing with him.

"Surely you are not suggesting this Sith Lord will wage war with the Republic, Senator Organa?" questioned Palpatine with Senator Organa nodding.

"I am. If left unchecked, Darth Vader, and those who follow him will become a threat to the Republic," said Senator Organa while many Senators shouted denials or agreements with his words.

"And what would you suggest we do Senator Organa? Darth Vader's actions are outside of the jurisdiction of the Republic. He has not violated any Republic laws from what I have seen," said Ainlee Teem, who was the Senator from Malastare.

"As you mentioned earlier Supreme Chancellor, the Jedi have already been monitoring the Sith Lord's activities. I ask that we request their services to apprehend Darth Vader for questioning regarding his actions since the invasion of Naboo and if necessary...that he be arrested," said Bail Organa while the Senate was again divided on this issue.

(Planet Serenno)

"Your actions on Zygerria made quite the impact throughout the Republic," commented Dooku while Vader provided the Count with a report of his actions.

"As it should. Crushing a growing slavery hub was needed to get the Republic, if not the Galaxy's attention on us. With my actions showing how ineffective the Republic and the Jedi Order have become, many systems will leave the Republic, and many more will join our soon to be Confederacy. Considering your agents have been discreetly planting the evidence of the Separatists supporting me for my actions, this will help swell our ranks further," said Vader while Dooku nodded since tying Vader to the Separatist would make the organization grow even faster with all the good deeds he had done.

"In addition, the Techno Union, Corporate Alliance, and even the InterGalactic Banking Clan benefit from the change in Zygerria's government. Their resources on that world will make it a powerful trading hub in the Outer Rim. A diamond in the ruff waiting to shine brightly when properly cleaned up," said Dooku with Vader nodding.

"A shining diamond that will one day be part of the Confederacy," added Vader knowing Zygerria would join simply if the Sith Lord asked them to join.

"Indeed. I almost want to know what else you have planned for this Galaxy," said Dooku while Vader closed his eyes for a moment.

"I will continue traveling throughout the Galaxy while my fleet of ships stay here to not only protect you, but to make the Jedi think I am still here on the planet for the time being," said Vader, as he was going to take his personal Nubian ship deep into the Mid-Rim, and hunt for the one thing the Emperor never got his hands on.

The Katana Fleet.

Vader knew long after the Empire was forged that finding the 200 legendary dreadnought class ships would have made up for the loss of the Death Star. In fact, Vader suspected that if he obtained such a fleet himself, he could very well have been able to challenge the Emperor, and turn the entire Empire against the man.

Once the ship were properly upgraded with the latest technology of course.

But that was another lifetime. Still, the Katana Fleet was and still is a prize of war ships the Sith Lord knew he had to obtain now over later. Quite a few salvage parties were currently seeking to obtain the fleet for their own personal gain. Fortunately, he had an edge on where to look for the ships despite the fact they went into a random hyperspace jump when the crew went insane.

The edge in question being the Force itself. Sidious could have used the Force to find the Katana Fleet if he wanted to find all 200 ships. If it could shield the man from the Jedi, help him corrupt Senators, and take down some of the Galaxy's best people with so little effort...finding these ships should be easy by comparison.

And for Vader it was easy. Even now, the Force had shown him the image of the Katana Fleet floating in space somewhere in the Mid-Rim of the Halm Sector. It wouldn't take much to take control of the fleet due to the slave circuitry built into it and the flagship being the one that held it. Once Vader got onboard the _Katana_ , he would claim the entire fleet of ships for himself before sending them to the Techno Union to be upgraded for the war that was to come.

Add in his new Kalee born and bred Generals, the new and improved battle droids he was going to unleash on the Republic, and the various allies obtained so far...it was going to be one Hell of a war.

(A/N: YAY! Another chapter done. Won't be long now until the Clone Wars is underway and things begin to heat up. Until next time...PEACE!)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6-The Confederacy Rises

If there was one thing Count Dooku knew from his partnership with Darth Vader, it was to expect the unexpected. In the time they had met, the Sith Lord had rallied exiled and maverick Jedi, warriors, bounty hunters, and various other individuals to a cause many would see as horrible. Not surprising given the purpose of gathering these people was to prepare for a violent war where worlds would be ravaged by destruction and lives would be lost from the fighting.

Of course, the alternative Vader had revealed without his influence was something far worse in the former Jedi Master's mind.

Still, it was quite the surprise to see Vader having acquired the already famous Katana Fleet with a sense of satisfaction coming off of him upon his return. And rightfully so. The Sith Lord had found what many would pay entire fortunes and give up entire star systems to obtain.

And it was all theirs. Well...it was all Vader's at any rate.

"Finding the Katana Fleet is most impressive Lord Vader. No doubt word has reached all over of your accomplishment," commented Dooku while Vader nodded.

"And no doubt making quite a few Republic military advisors to the Supreme Chancellor very nervous," added Vader with a sense of satisfaction showing in his masked voice.

"Yes, I imagine they are quite nervous at this point. Even if you do not plan to have the entire fleet upgraded with the latest technology, such a force when properly manned could fly to the heart of Coruscant...and seize control," replied Dooku with a knowing look while Vader scoffed.

"If I wished for a quick end and putting a blade to throat of the Republic. All it would do would make me into a monster and rally the worlds of the Galaxy to fight back. The last thing I need is them amassing their own forces to attack me from behind. I have no such intentions. Besides, I prefer the Techno Union take a look at everything after we make sure there are zero chances of any kind of disease remaining on the ships. Once they give all the ships a proper upgrade, I have plans for the fleet that will help us in the long run," said Vader while Dooku looked intrigued from what he was implying.

"If I didn't know any better, I would be under the impression you plan to sell pieces of the dreadnought fleet?" questioned Dooku while Vader surprised him again by nodding.

"I am. But not to just anyone. I have a specific buyer in mind. Someone who can return the favor when called upon when the time comes," said Vader with Dooku looking even more intrigued.

"Who?" asked Dooku since he was sure any Faction within the entire Galaxy would pay out the nose for the fleet.

And yet the Sith Lord had _one_ buyer in mind?

"This Chiss Ascendency," answered Vader while Dooku frowned.

"I have never heard of the Chiss Ascendency. Are they in the Outer Rim?" asked Dooku while Vader didn't look surprised.

"It is very far in the Outer Rim. Boarding on Wild Space," answered Vader with Dooku nodding.

"And you wish to bring them into the Confederacy while using the Katana Fleet as some form of payment?" questioned Dooku since any system would gladly ally with Vader if they were given the entire Katana Fleet.

"In a manner of speaking. The Katana Fleet will be given to them in the distant future in exchange for _one_ person among their ranks," said Vader with Dooku now looking at him with utter disbelief.

"An entire dreadnought fleet for _one person_?" asked Dooku since he didn't think it was a good trade in the slightest.

"The one person in question is worth the entire fleet, I assure you. He is or rather will be a Master Tactician second only to myself," said Vader and causing Dooku to reevaluate his previous thoughts.

Vader himself was practically unstoppable at this point. Using tactics and skills beyond anything the Republic and the Jedi have seen at this point. If this single person the Sith Lord mentioned was almost as good as him...?

"If this single individual is indeed worth the entire Katana Fleet, I hope you can bring him into the fold when the time comes," said Dooku with Vader nodding.

"The individual is young right now. But my time in the Chiss Ascendency in the near future will ensure things are set in motion to bring us possibly their greatest tactical mind. One worth several Katana Fleets when the time is right to bring him to our side when he called upon to serve," said Vader while Dooku nodded since the Sith Lord had yet to make a mistake in his overall plans.

"I will contact the Techno Union and begin the upgrade of the Katana Fleet at once," said Dooku with Vader nodding before he left.

(Mustafar-Planetary Surface)

Vader hated this planet. He hated the environment. Hated the heat. The lava. Especially the lava given it ignited his clothing, which caused it to catch on fire and burn him in the previous timeline. It was only through sheer Will and his love for Padme that he had the strength to crawl away from the lava after Obi-wan left him to die slowly. Bah! The Jedi spoke of love and mercy, yet if his old teacher followed through with his claims, the fool would have ended him before the Emperor arrived. What's worse is Obi-wan had told is son a horrid lie wrapped around a sliver of truth. Such a Sith tactic used by Obi-wan and possibly that old dwarf Yoda to have him killed. Even having the nerve in using his own daughter against him without telling either children of their parentage. They didn't even tell his children about Padme! Their Mother! And they called Vader a monster for the things he had done. Hypocrites!

No matter. He would change things. Things for the better. An alternate timeline where his family would be whole and those that had plotted, planned, and schemed to keep them all apart would suffer. The Skywalker family was never meant to be kept apart. The Force had told him as much after the truth of Luke being his son in the alternate timeline. It had screamed in rage for years since Padme's death and it wasn't until his son and eventually his daughter, just before his death, did the Sith Lord understand.

They were meant to be a family. To be whole. It was the Will of the Force and it would not be denied a second time.

"You brought me here for a reason. Show me," whispered Vader in his special suit he had commissioned to travel on the planet's surface without being harmed by its atmosphere.

And the Force did not disappoint. It showed a crashed ship. An old one from the looks of things. Several thousand years old in fact. Hammerhead Class from the looks of things. But it wasn't the ship itself the Force intended to show Vader, but what was _inside_ of it that was the _real prize_.

It was a head. A droid's head to be more precise. It was old. The kind not seen for several thousand years. The Force was practically flying around it before it showed him an image from the past of a Sith Lord and this droid when fully functional walking side by side.

'Interesting. Could it be _his_ droid?' thought Vader while moving toward the ship to obtain his prize.

The head of the infamous droid of all time...HK-47.

( _Angel's Blade_ -Sometime Later)

The first thing HK-47 saw when reactivated was the inside of a fully functional ship with his head on a console keeping him powered. Another thing the droid notice was there was complex security algorithms in place to deny him access to the rest of the ship. Clever. Whoever had found him clearly knew of HK and his infamous reputation for killing meat bags no matter how much of a disadvantage he might be in.

"You are finally online. Good. I was about to assume that your systems were damaged internally," said Vader before walking up to the droid and sat in the chair in front of the droid.

"Query: Who are you and where am I?" asked HK-47 while deciding to pretend he was not the infamous droid capable of killing Jedi, Sith, Mandalorians, and other meat bags throughout the Galaxy.

"You may call me Vader. _Darth_ Vader. And I know who you are...HK-47," said Vader with HK's eyes glowing slightly.

The equivalent of human eyes widening.

"Statement: I see. So you know of me and my reputation. Additional Query: Given your title of Darth, I can easily presume you are a Sith Lord?" countered HK-47 with Vader nodding.

"You presume correct. I am a Sith Lord," said Vader with HK being silent for a moment.

"Query: If you would be so kind, perhaps you can tell me what year it is? Or perhaps how long I have been offline?" asked HK-47 since it would reveal how long he was away from the rest of the Galaxy.

"Given your last known sighting in the Galaxy, I would say it is roughly several thousand years," said Vader while HK-47's eyes lit up and made a noise in its voice modulator.

Whether it was meant to represent anger, surprise, or something else...the Sith Lord did not know.

"Shocked Statement: S-Several thousand years?! You mean to tell me that I have been offline for several thousand years?" asked HK-47 while sounding like he was ready to blow a memory circuit.

"Yes. You were found without a body on a crashed Hammerhead Class ship. The Galaxy as you once knew it has changed from your time several thousand years ago," said Vader with HK-47 making another noise.

"Angry Comment: So not only do I not have my body, one that could strike fear in the hearts of meat bags everywhere, but the entire Galaxy as I once knew it is not the same? Unacceptable!" exclaimed HK-47 in an angry tone.

"Which is why _I_ am here. The Force led me to you," said Vader with HK going silent for a moment to no doubt think.

"Soothing Statement: Master, I have been in the service of and fought many who could use the Force. While I do not understand the power itself or how some meat bags can use it and some cannot, I do know not to underestimate its greatness. If the Force led you to me, it is no doubt to provide you with my services for killing meat bags. Lots and lots meat bags," said HK-47 while Vader raised an eyebrow at him.

"You just called me Master. Why?" asked Vader with HK-47 making another noise.

"Honest Answer: Easy Master, you are in need of my services for whatever plans and schemes are being sent in motion. You found me in my little place in the Galaxy where I would have most likely rusted away into nothingness. A fate no droid wishes upon their person. Therefore, it is only fair that I accept such employment, and prove I am _still_ the most dangerous droid the Galaxy has known well after my multi-millennial retirement. Quick Correction: My _forced_ multi-millennial retirement," said HK-47 while Vader just looked at the droid in amusement.

"Difficult to do without a body," commented Vader while HK-47 dimmed the light in his optics to signify a narrowing of his eyes if he were human.

"Defensive Statement: Master, I assure you, even if I am just a head for now, if given the chance, I would be able to kill at least one meat bag in my present overall condition. As to a body, I trust you will be most generous in providing one to my exact specification. One which will allow me to kill meat bags for you at optimal efficiency and pinpoint precision," said HK-47 with Vader leaning back against his chair.

"Since I just found you on a volcanic planet, getting a customize body right now is not possible. In a few months time, yes. Until then, you will be stuck on this ship with me exploring the Galaxy," said Vader with HK making another noise.

"Sarcastic Statement: Oh joy. I get to be in a space ship flying around without a body and no means of killing meat bags to see worlds I once visited several millennia ago. If I did have a body, I might jump with artificial happiness," said HK-47 while Vader narrowed his eyes and leaned forward until he was face to face with the droid.

"Would you prefer I throw you into the lava outside? Miss out on the war that is to come in a few years? Or deny you the chance to kill _Jedi_? Lots and lots of Jedi in a time when the Order has become stagnant and dying?" countered Vader in a threatening tone.

"Pacifying Statement: I mean no disrespect Master, but when someone is my position, I find they tend to be...emotionally negative about things. Interested Query: Killing Jedi you said? Fighting in a war you said? Are you certain the Galaxy has really changed?" asked HK-47 since that part of the Galaxy didn't appear to change much.

"In that regard? No, such things have not changed. And yes, wars have popped up from time to time, but they have been minor when compared to what you have been through. As to the war that I have been setting into motion, it will be massive, and it will require an entity with your skills," said Vader with HK-47's optics glowing brightly and the Sith Lord assumed it was his way of expressing joy.

"Enthusiastic Statement: Master, I take back my previous sarcastic statement and any other negative thoughts about you I have not expressed during this conversation. I would be proud to fight beside you and kill all the meat bags standing in your way of glory! All I need is a body to call my own. Once I do, you can just let nature take its course," stated HK-47 with Vader looking amused when away from the droid's head.

"Good. I was hoping as much. But make no mistake HK, you will obey my orders, and you will kill _only_ who I command you to kill. Regardless if they are Jedi or not. Failure to comply with my command would be most _unwise_ ," warned Vader with HK-47 now being silent for a moment.

"Professional Statement: I have no problem with obeying you Master. When my Maker first created me, he said the same thing in order to ensure that only those who were meant to be killed were the ones to die. He believed in killing meat bags and destroying things with pinpoint precision so there was at least something else to build on in the future," said HK-47 while Vader nodded since he believed in the same thing.

Darth Sidious never did. He believed in destroying anything and everything one way or another depending on its depreciating value to him.

"I expect nothing less but complete professionalism from the droid made by Darth Revan himself. As such, I will make sure the body you obtain is capable of handling the war that is to come," said Vader while he typed on the computer consol.

"Query: Master, aside from the Jedi meat bags roaming throughout the Galaxy just who are we fighting?" asked HK-47 curiously.

"Patience HK. You have been out of touch with the Galaxy for several thousand years. Waiting a few more days to weeks won't hurt. Besides, it will no doubt take that long to assimilate all the information necessary to function within the Galaxy," answered Vader before he went to the cockpit to start the ship.

"Depressing Comment: That is easy for you say Master. _You_ still have your body," said HK-47 while hoping the body he got was up to his ridiculously high standards.

(Coruscant-Jedi Temple-At the Moment)

"Are you certain? The entire Katana Fleet?" asked Mace Windu with Obi-wan nodding his head.

"My sources are reliable Master. As of right now, Darth Vader has the entire Katana Fleet at his command. Count Dooku is having his contacts with the Techno Union preparing to have it fully upgraded and battle ready," said Obi-wan to Mace Windu and the entire Jedi Council.

"If he uses that fleet once fully upgraded, the Republic will not be able to withstand such an attack. Especially if he knows the Hyperspace Lanes needed to jump from one planet to the next to get here," said Master Mundi worriedly.

"We will need to contact the Supreme Chancellor about this and try to create a battle plan to repel a possible attack. What about the planets he visited?" said Master Poof while he saw some of the Jedi Council members grimace.

"The planet Honoghr was a disaster. A group of Jedi went there to investigate. But soon after they landed, the populace living there attacked them. While none of the Jedi were killed, their injuries were pretty bad, and they were disarmed of their Lightsabers to further add insult to injury. The Noghri, as they are called, told the Jedi team they were unworthy of wielding Lightsabers or the power we wield," said Master Koth while he winced at the memory of the report the team provided him and the fact the Noghri had done so much damage to them.

The fact the Jedi team sent consisted of eight Jedi, with four of them being Masters, two Knights, and two Padawans being bested by half only seemed to prove the Noghri were right in their minds. At least the Noghri had been honorable to the point of bringing their defeated enemies into their ship and managing to put them in the ship's medical area for treatment.

Though that was all they did and left the medical droids to heal them all while leaving them a warning to never come back or they would only receive death for their efforts. It was the Jedi Order's one and only warning to leave well enough alone and telling them to stay away from Lord Vader.

"Lord Vader's trips to the Outer Rim also seem to involve worlds that have no owners, but are filled with resources that if properly mined could be a great boon for shipyards needing materials. Even now, he has used his resources with the backing of Count Dooku to establish mining rights, the Corporate Alliance for business opportunities, and the IBC for additional financial support. Within the time span of a few years, Lord Vader will be among the wealthiest men in the entire Galaxy," said Master Plo Koon while having the best financial analysis team the Republic had to project how much money the Sith Lord would obtain.

"This Sith Lord is establishing a financial empire in order to fund a military one. If he has in fact joined the growing Separatists Movement, it might be a means to finance the threat of war," said Master Windu since it was clear Vader wanted to have the financial resources to maintain the future war machine he was planning to create.

"Where does the Chancellor and the Senate stand on this?" asked Master Koth curiously since the Senate was being made aware of Vader's activities per the Supreme Chancellor's request they work closely together.

"The Senate is divided. Some support Vader. Others do not. Some are undecided. Those who support the Sith Lord in the Senate are suspected of being part of or are part of the Separatist Movement. Those who are against Vader are part of what is called the Loyalist Party. The undecided are loyal to the Republic, but can't find any fault with the Sith Lord being able to freely move across the Galaxy," said Master Poof while feeling frustrated that the Senate would not unite against the Jedi's ancient foe.

"Surely this news of obtaining the Katana Fleet will push for the Senate to act?" asked Master Mundi with Master Yoda frowning.

"Use the Katana Fleet, Vader is not. Sense this in the Force, I do," said Yoda while he tried to see through the Force and saw images of the mighty Katana Fleet in Vader's hands.

Only to reshape and morph itself into a single individual with blue skin, red eyes, military cropped hair, and wearing a white uniform with golden trims with a high military rank.

"Having the Katana Fleet in his possession guarantees him an instant victory should he start war. Why wouldn't he use it?" asked Koth with Yoda closing his eyes in focus.

"Something far more valuable, obtained he will. Or rather someone," said Yoda with the image of this figure and the image of a space battle in the background with strange ships happening.

"A powerful and influential ally. And a dangerous one if Darth Vader is willing to trade an entire dreadnought fleet for him," said Master Poof knowing anyone who trades an entire fleet of dreadnoughts for one person must have a damn good reason.

"We will monitor the Katana Fleet and where Vader plans on taking it. Depending on where he goes, we might be able to stop the deal or at least prevent this future ally from joining him," said Master Windu with the other nodding.

'That is one plan done. Now if only we could just handle our own internal issues,' thought Master Koth while glancing at some of the Consular Jedi in the room.

The investigation into the unusual number of Guardian, Sentinel, and Consular Jedi was not going well since being assigned to it by Master Yoda. The Council of Reconciliation was resisting him every step of the way and were using one delay tactic after the next. They were determine to prevent Koth access to their records and to those handling them since they felt his investigation was pointless and a waste of resources.

It was only when Master Yoda himself came did the Council of Reconciliation have no choice, but to let Koth advance in his investigation. Not that it mattered. By the time he accessed their records, they had been altered, or shown signs of being partially deleted. When speaking to the Jedi Master assigned to it, Koth was given the run around by some of them while others were surprisingly more hostile. Or as hostile as Consular Jedi could be when being investigated and told under no uncertain terms to leave well enough alone.

When Master Koth reported his findings (thus far) to Master Yoda, the Grandmaster was less than pleased. Like Koth, the ancient Jedi Master had shown a growing concern for the way the infrastructure was being run within the Jedi Order. Too many Jedi were rising through the ranks and classified as Consular over Guardian or Sentinel. It was almost like a conspiracy was being revealed where one Sect. within the Jedi Order's ranks was trying to dominate, if not control the others.

It was concerning to Master Koth because the situation made him feel as if the Jedi Order was fracturing and imploding on itself at the same time.

And all the while, the Sith were planning their demise without having to lift a finger.

(Undisclosed Planet)

Vader walked though the complex with his Lightsaber on. His purpose here was to end what should have never been started and allowed to grow. Already, he had killed all of this fools creations and security droids intent on impeding his path to the intended target. Computer systems, communication devices, and anything else technological were either jammed or destroyed while walking toward his prey.

The name of said prey? Cylo.

In another point in time, the fool thought little of the Force. Saw it as a religion long since gone without its believers and the Jedi Order. Not surprising since Vader had become the only acknowledged practitioner of the Force (Sidious hiding his position and title as one not withstanding) following the rise of the Empire and the Jedi Purges. As for Cylo, he had seen Darth Vader as a relic of a time long since past and believed in machines and the technology to make cyborgs was the future that would replace the cosmic power as the true might of the Galaxy.

A fool with delusions regardless of his scientific brilliance.

Vader realized his action in killing off the Jedi and Sidious keeping his own position as a Sith a secret had made the Force seem like some fable. A story you tell children to fill their heads with fantasy instead of fact. If not for Vader's numerous exploits when he was moving from one campaign to the next and using his powers from time to time, would the Force be considered truly a dead religion to the people who have never seen it in action.

People like Cylo mocked the Force. They tried to provide scientific explanations on how someone could move objects, read minds, and perform various physical actions that went far beyond their natural skill. They said one or another. Saying science could provide all that and more the Force gave its "believers" and tried to pick apart the cosmic energy's influence.

Again, Cylo was a fool. One that Vader was not about to tolerate in this Galaxy a second time around.

"So the infamous Darth Vader graces me with his presence. I suppose I _should_ feel some honor...but meeting such an archaic individual from an even older time of barbarism does not," remarked Cylo from a large monitor while looking down on the Sith Lord with a "I am superior to you in every single way imaginable" look on his face like he always did in alternate timeline.

"The feeling is mutual. For such a brilliant mind, it is equally foolish, if not arrogant in its refusal to believe in fear," said Vader while not looking the slightest bit intimidated by the way Cylo looked at him.

"You think I should? Typical Sith. I have studied your kind. Arrogant. Greedy. Believing yourself superior when it couldn't more further from the truth. It is why your kind went from being in legions to single numbers," said Cylo while clearly mocking the Sith Lord for being a Sith.

"And yet you show all of our proclaimed traits. You are arrogant in your own supposed superiority. You are greedy in your lust for power to expand your knowledge of your pathetic craft. And even your tone suggest you believe that you are superior to others who do not share your views or supposed power," countered Vader and saw Cylo snarl at him.

"I wield more power than you do Sith. You come here thinking your so called 'Force' will protect you. It is nothing more than a parlor trick, dramatic nonsense, or a slight of hand. Magnetism. Telepathy. And other things science can easily explain away. I know all your tricks. You think your display of destroying things here will intimidate me? Make me fear you? Beg for mercy? All you have done so far is annoy me," countered Cylo in a tone that Vader recalled all too well as the one the man used when they first met.

Smug. Filled with himself. His arrogance and sense of superiority with technology almost rivaled Sidious and his belief the Force was his to command.

"We will see who wields power when I stand in front of you with my Lightsaber piercing your head," said Vader before crushing the monitor with the Force and continued toward the cyborg.

"Your kind are a relic of an ancient time. It is why so few of you exist. Technology used to bring about immortality is the future Vader. Not your so called 'Force' that you believe in. The religion you follow is dying. Soon it will be dead and so will all those who practice the belief," said Cylo through the speakers in the corridor.

Vader ignored him. He didn't care about Cylo going on and on about how his way was best and technology was the future. How _he_ was the future. How _he_ was a God in the realm of technology and proved it with his various bodies with the ability to jump from one form to the next.

Considering Cylo had done it before in a different timeline, Vader knew he could, but was actually looking forward to seeing it in action. It was not everyday you got to kill an annoying piece of filth like Cylo more than once.

When Vader did enter the room with Cylo in it, he wasn't surprised to see the cyborg for a fool had surrounded himself with four other copies of himself, and additional cyborg abominations no doubt meant to protect them from harm. The Cylo that Vader had been having the pointless discussion with moments ago was in the process of leaving the room with his four copies on medical capsules.

"Running so soon?" asked Vader with his Lightsaber out and active.

"I have more important things to do than deal with an annoyance such as yourself," said Cylo while heading for his exit while his cybernetic bodyguards engaging Vader in battle.

Only to be blocked by a full functioning HK-47 holding a blaster rife and aiming it at the arrogant cyborg.

"Disgusted Comment: Just look at you! A combination of metal and living tissue put in a single form. To think someone would dare mix a meat bag's tainted essence with that of metallic perfection. You were right Master, he is indeed an abomination that must be put down and destroyed," said HK-47 while looking at Cylo with contempt and seeing the Sith Lord behind the cyborg was killing off his targets as easy as breathing.

Even if no one could see it sans for his optics glowing while they narrowed at the cyborg.

"You think your droid frightens me Vader? My minions can handle you and him easily," said Cylo with arrogant confidence.

"Unlikely," said Vader moved swiftly, cutting down Cylo's metallic cyborg enhanced abominations he had created to be his bodyguards.

It was over within 10 seconds. And in those 10 seconds HK didn't move. He didn't have to move. The droid his new Sith Lord for a Master was skilled. Seeing him practice on the ship time and time again was proof enough for the hunter killer droid. HK also knew that Cylo was waiting for him to act and attempt to save the Sith Lord from harm. HK knew that Cylo believed the droid to be one that was programmed to aid and protect its Master no matter the danger. That HK would let the meat bag go while blasting all of the horrible abominations left behind in order to protect his Sith Lord for a Master.

Cylo should have known better. But to be fair...he was a meat bag.

One that HK-47 enjoyed shooting multiple times in the chest.

"Unsatisfied Comment: Is that it? I was under the impression this abomination would put up more of a challenge. How disappointing," commented HK before making a sound that was the equivalent of an exaggerated sigh.

Only to see one of the Cylo copies to rise up from the medical bed with annoyed look on his face at losing one of its bodies.

"You will pay for that action droid," said Cylo before he was stabbed in the back by Vader's Lightsaber.

"Unlikely," commented Vader before slicing Cylo's head off his second body.

And like before, Cylo had entered his other body to avoid being killed.

And again he was killed by HK-47.

And again after that by Vader.

"You really think those dead bodies were the only ones I had? They were just the more valuable ones. I have bodies throughout my base. You cannot stop me Sith. I am a true immortal!" declared Cylo with his face on the screen nearby while looking incredibly arrogant.

"Annoyed Statement: Master, this abomination for a meat bag is getting on my sensors. Query: Can we just kill him now? It is not like he is a challenge for either of us?" asked HK-47 in a bored yet annoyed tone.

"Such insolence from a droid. Clearly of Sith design. Meant to instill fear and terror into your enemies. Difficult to do when your enemy is immortal," commented Cylo with his sense of superiority showing.

"You are only immortal so long as you have one of your so called 'bodies' to possess in the event the one you are in has died. What happens when there are no more bodies left?" challenged Vader while Cylo's eyes narrowed and his scowl deepened.

"I have a nearly unlimited supply. I won't be running out anytime soon," said Cylo with his gaze locked on Vader's own.

"No. You do not," said Vader before he pulled out a detonator and pressed the button.

And the result was numerous explosions throughout Cylo's base.

"What?! What is this?" demanded Cylo with his image having a hard time manifesting, yet was glaring all the same at Vader.

"Proud Answer: It is simple you grotesque meat bag. While you were talking with my Master, I was discreetly planting explosive charges at key points of this base after slicing into your systems. Your feeble computer defenses were no match for my skills and I was able to plant explosives in the most strategic as well as valuable places. Namely where your 'bodies' were in storage. I also planted them on all your ships and shuttles you have docked for your escape. Naturally, you will not be leaving this building or this planet alive," said HK-47 while neglecting to mention he also uploaded a virus into the system to attack the computer's main systems so Cylo couldn't retreat back into it once all the bodies were destroyed.

Which would be soon.

As for Cylo, he was enraged by this defiance to his greatness. To his superiority! His immortality and Godhood! These two ancient relics _dared_ to strike down the future of the Galaxy!

"I am going to enjoy ripping your body apart. Digging deep into your primary program and personality matrix systems. By the time I get through with you, the ability to even speak a word will become a challenge for your limited processors!" threatened Cylo while HK-47 looked calm as ever.

For deadly hunter killer droid made by a Sith Lord several millennia ago.

"Counter Statement: I would like to see a meat bag like you try," replied HK-47 while Vader looked bored.

"Enough. We came here to do our job and it is done. He had nothing left," said Vader before walking away and heading for the nearest exit.

"Do you honestly believe that to be true? Does your previous 'Force' tell you that I am defeated. Ha! You couldn't be more further from the truth," mocked Cylo while Vader ignored him and his additional attempts to anger the Sith Lord.

"Are the jammers online?" asked Vader while they left for his ship.

"Proud Statement: Yes Master. All jammers to prevent signals of any kind from leaving this meat bag's base of operations have been in place from some time and are currently active above the planet. I guarantee that meta bag abomination will not leave here alive," answered HK-47 with his tone oozing confidence.

Well...for a droid.

"Good. Once we are in orbit, I will signal our fleet to destroy Cylo's base. I want it turned into a hole in the ground," said Vader coldly.

"Observation: You seem to be quite angry with this particular meat bag Master. If I didn't know any better, I would think this idiot crossed you in a way I cannot begin to process," said HK-47 while Vader glanced at him.

"If you only knew HK. Speaking of certain individuals who crossed me as of late, I have a mission for you. One I can entrust to no one else," said Vader before they got on the Sith Lord's ship and took off.

"Excited Statement: Oh joy! Who do you want me to kill Master?" asked HK since he knew the Sith only gave the order to kill someone, it was to be done in a challenging way.

"I need you to kill someone without it being considered an assassination. Your target is to die in what appears to be a natural manner. When you kill him, the only plausible reason he died was through no fault, but his own, or make it seem like a natural event. Under no circumstances is he to killed in a way that says foul play," said Vader while HK nodded and almost had a sense of joy radiating from his being.

"Proud Statement: Master, it is times like these, I am proud to be in your service. When my creator sent me on missions, he made sure they were of the most challenging of tasks. You are certainly proving yourself to be a worthy successor in that regard," said HK-47 before Vader gave the signal and his fleet bombarded the planet and the base Cylo was located.

Vader also had the everything within 100 miles of the lab bombarded too. Just for good measure.

"Your target's name is Rush Clovis of Scipio," said Vader while remembering that fool and his desire to reclaim his romantic feelings for Padme during the Clone Wars.

Vader would ensure they would never meeting again unless it was at his own funeral.

"Statement: I will begin my mission immediately Master. As always, you can count on me to kill any and all meat bags your heart desires," said HK-47 while liking a challenge such as this knowing his target had to die using the different means of killing someone that he was use to employing.

If there is one thing HK-47 enjoyed above all else, it was a challenge in terms of killing meat bags.

"Good. Stick with me HK and I promise you plenty of missions in the near future," said Vader while HK-47's body was almost vibrating with a sense of excitement.

"Energetic Statement: Master, this is why I enjoy being in your service. You have plenty of meat bags for enemies that need to be killed and not enough time to do it yourself. Hence why you need someone of my skills to do it for you. That reason alone makes my behavior core glow," said HK-47 while Vader smirked behind his face mask.

Only a droid built by a Sith Lord several millennia ago would and could say such a thing.

(Serenno-Sometime Later)

"So, it is finally time. To think 10 years of plotting and planning for this moment would move so quickly," commented Dooku while he stared out the window of his home to see his world in all its beauty.

"It always does when constantly moving toward something. You don't even realize time has moved by so fast until half way through to the goal or until you reach the objective. It is if you move through the flow of time itself," said Vader while stared at Dooku's back.

They were ready. It had taken 10 years, give or take a few months, but they were ready for the war that was to come. HK-47 had been deployed to help create the moment. The moment that would start an investigation by the Jedi Order at the behest of the Loyalist Party of the Senate and Supreme Chancellor (and secret Sith Lord) to find out just how strong the Separatists movement had become.

"Do you believe your droid is a match for Savage?" asked Dooku curiously while he was referring to Sidious's second animal for an apprentice.

"HK-47 is an accomplished assassin from his time when the Sith were far more ruthless and arguably more powerful when compared to now. He was built by one of the best Sith Lords the Galaxy ever knew and has the skills to back it up. Added with the technology we have now used to build his customize body, there is no doubt he could easily kill the animalistic Savage Oppress," said Vader since HK-47 was indeed the perfect choice to kill Maul's brother.

Sidious had originally sent Savage to kill Dooku months ago in secret in order to take control of the Separatist movement with Oppressing being his puppet. Ruling over the conspirators through fear and blackmail knowing they couldn't go back to the Republic without being labeled traitors. But like with his time teaching Maul (or lack thereof), this Zabrak had not shielded himself properly in his attempt to kill the Count, and was easily repelled by Dooku via his mastery of Lightsaber Arts. Oppress tried to overpower Dooku using the Force, but the Count long since had enough strength in it to fight Savage in that area, and take the Zabrak's right arm during the fight before the enemy retreated.

"True, but is his side target that concerns me. Sidious is a whole different level of Sith when compared to Savage," said Dooku while Vader smirked behind his mask.

"So am I. And his side target is not meant to be killed. Only wounded," said Vader since he knew HK's secondary target was going to use this to rally the Senate and those loyal to the Republic to his side.

And thus create the spark that would soon alight the flames of war.

(Coruscant-Supreme Chancellor's Office)

Savage Oppress hated masking his Force presence. The large Zabrak found it extremely difficult since it felt like he was suppressing the Dark Side of the Force. Suppressing an actual part of himself. Still, his Master had commanded it of him, and Savage learned long ago to not disobey his Master. Disobedience resulted in pain. Failure resulted in even more pain. Both at the same time resulted in multiple times the pain.

Speaking of pain, Savage knew his prostheticarm was in need of maintenance again. It had been put on him by Sidious's droids while unconscious after he had blacked out from the pain following his return to Coruscant. Naturally, his Master had not been pleased by the failed attempt to kill Dooku, and taking control of the Separatist. He had tortured Savage for some time, using the cybernetic arm as a perfect conduit for using the Force Lightning to travel into the Zabrak's body. Sidious had made the replacement arm out of a super conductive metal that would make lightning or something lightning based to travel through it faster and into a person's body via the nerves at the connection point.

After the painful torture ended, Sidious had decided to reposition Savage as his personal bodyguard under the guise of being a hired mercenary. That way, should Savage ever be caught showing his Force potential to any of the Jedi, Sidious as Palpatine had plausible deniability in knowing his apprentice was Force sensitive. After the exercise of masking his presence to the point where even a Jedi Master could not sense him, Savage Oppress was given neutral colored mercenary armor, a mercenary's mask, high grade blaster rifle, and other equipment to look the part of a professional hired thug. Still, it was not an easy task to perform just standing here guarding his secret Master. Especially when you have a crudely attached cybernetic arm poor attached to your body and was causing a throbbing pain strong enough to put down a rancor. But he did it. It took a great deal of control on his part, but Savage wished to prove himself worthy of his Sith Master, and the legacy of his late brother Darth Maul.

A brother slain by Darth Vader. Something Sidious told him with no small amount of glee knowing it would infuriate Savage to no end. All the while conveniently leaving out how Savage's brother Feral had died by the cruel Sith Lord's hands when acquiring him.

'If only I wasn't assigned here to play a glorified bodyguard, I would avenge my brother, and prove myself worthy of being a Sith,' thought Savage while he stood guard in the room while the Jedi Masters and some Senate members were in the room.

Following the failed assassination attempt on Count Dooku, the backup plan was set in motion to have Senator Amidala assassinated. The plan itself involved eventually killing the woman of considerable influence, plant the evidence of the Separatists, namely Count Dooku being involved, and turn the former Queen of Naboo into a martyr for the cause. She had initially was opposing the Military Creation Act due to her belief in negotiations first over violence and the fact an actual Galactic War would destroy so many worlds. That if the Republic built their own army to counter the rumors of the Separatists own growing forces, it would lead to an escalation that would lead to untold suffering.

Which was _exactly_ what Sidious was hoping for when the Clone Wars happened and was trying to set into motion. The only issue Sidious had now was controlling _both sides_ of this conflict and bringing about the maximum amount of death. Something he couldn't do so long as Count Dooku was alive and Vader providing him with support at various key points.

"I don't know how long I can hold off the vote in the Senate my friends," said the kindly voice of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine while looking at the Jedi Masters and Senators in the room.

"If they do break away...," warned Mace Windu to the Supreme Chancellor.

"I will not let this Republic that has stood for a thousand years be split in two. My negotiations will not fail," said Palpatine firmly since he had told everyone in the Senate of his plan to speak to Count Dooku in order to have a peaceful resolution to his actions of enflaming the Separatists Movement.

"If they do, you must realize there aren't enough Jedi to protect the Republic. We're keepers of the peace, not soldiers," said Master Windu since he knew that while the Jedi Order numbers in the tens of thousands...a Galactic War tended to thin the numbers rather quickly.

Any future conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Senator Amidala, who had just survived yet another assassination attempt by one of Sidious's agents. It had cost her quite a few bodyguards, handmaidens, and a loyal body double assigned to impersonate her on the Senatorial Nubian Yacht. It had been a devastating blow to Padme personally since she knew many of these people and they had signed up to willingly give their lives for her. Nevertheless, Padme was determined, and stood by her convictions in opposing the Military Creation Act. She would not allow these attempts to sway her or the Senate to build an army that would essentially provoke a full blow Galactic War.

Savage was almost impressed by her. She was a strong willed woman who refused to bend to whims of those around her that opposed those beliefs. It was almost a shame she had to die soon.

"Senator Amidala, good to see you it is. Seeing you unharmed, warms my heart it does," said Master Yoda while Padme smiled at the tiny Jedi Master, but the smile was not as warm as she would have liked.

The Jedi Council's actions in keeping both Qui-gon Jinn and Anakin busy in the last 10 years to keep the boy from visiting his Mother every so often had caused a small...rift with her on a personal level. Anakin had pushed himself every single day to prove his worth as a Jedi under the eyes of his Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn. Both heroes to Naboo for their actions in fighting against the Trade Federation's occupation of the planet. Shimi Skywalker had been appointed as a handmaiden to Padme until her time as Queen ended and later served the new Queen just as loyally. Anakin had visited both Padme and Shimi when time allowed under the supervision of Master Jinn, but the Jedi Council had always been demanding of them both.

The Maverick Jedi Master and his wild card apprentice.

Rumor has it, the Jedi Council punished Anakin once by denying him and Master Jinn a ship to leave Coruscant for the scheduled time off to travel to Naboo. While the rumored crime to befit the rumored punishment was not known, Padme knew it was not a rumor since Anakin himself had contacted his Mother to inform her that he wouldn't be able to make the trip to Naboo. Both women had been in the room when he called and had been initially excited to see him as the scheduled time before the bad new came from the boy.

It didn't help that the trip itself was meant for Anakin to visit Shimi on her birthday no less with small, yet nice party. Something that a (at the time), 14 year old Anakin had been bitter about in missing and it was only thanks to Qui-gon that he didn't unleash his anger in...other ways not considered to be Jedi like. He had shouted at the unfairness of it all to his Master and how the Jedi Council was full of...individuals (the words he chose to describe/curse them in multiple languages he knew were not meant for innocent ears) that didn't appreciate what it meant to honor loved ones.

But Master Qui-gon was patient with his Jedi apprentice and comforted the boy to soothe his pain over it. Stating they would go to Naboo soon and make up for lost time. That so long as Anakin saw his Mother to wish her a Happy (belated) Birthday, he did not need to feel this way. He told Anakin that it was understandable to be angry, but never let all that anger itself control him, or his actions in life. Such a thing would lead to regrets and even questionable actions should the anger take root with enough influence to sway his actions in the future.

Anakin understood and apologized to Master Jinn for his outburst since he didn't deserve to be on the receiving end of the yelling. Qui-gon had been very understanding of the boy since the Jedi Council had done this on several occasions prior to this incident with this one being too much for the boy to simply let go. Qui-gon had expressed this issue with Master Yoda and the Jedi Council on several occasions with many of the members either ignoring the man's concerns or telling Qui-gon to be more forceful on Anakin to let go his "attachment" to his Mother. Master Yoda had been more understanding, as did some of the other Jedi Masters on the Jedi Council, but the vast majority of them did not nor did they seem to care.

Again, further proving the Jedi Council, and the Jedi Order itself was fractured in various places that refused to be healed by those in charge.

"Master Yoda. I am pleased to be here. Though I wish the reason was not one with darker times surrounding us," said Padme while she gave nothing away about her feelings about Anakin and the Jedi Council causing him problems.

"Agreed. Lost many recently on your travel here, you did. Condolences for your loss, I give," said Master Yoda while Padme smile more.

"Thank you Master. But what I need are answers and those who tried to assassinate me be brought to justice," said Padme while turning to look at the Supreme Chancellor for aid.

"Our intelligence points to disgruntled spice miners on Naboo," said Master Windu while Padme did not look convinced.

"I suspect Count Dooku or someone within his ranks being responsible without him being made aware of it," said Padme though she was hoping her assumption was not true since Darth Vader was rumored to be an associate working with him.

"He is a political idealist. Not a murder," said Master Ki-Adi-Mundi to voice his opinion of his old Jedi friend.

"You know, My Lady, Count Dooku was once a Jedi. He couldn't assassinate anyone. It's not in his character," said Master Windu with a smile.

Before it turned into a deep frown and instantly he along with his the Jedi in the room were instantly on guard as they sensed a disturbance in the Force.

"What is it?" asked Padme worriedly since she saw all the Jedi in the room now reach for their Lightsabers.

Savage would have done so himself if not for the quick, yet discreet command of Sidious to not use his hidden Lightsaber.

"Danger I sense. Coming here, it is," said Master Yoda in a warning tone.

Said danger soon came when the doors to the Supreme Chancellors office exploded and in walked HK-47 wielding a large mini-gun blaster cannon one would normally find on a well armed speeder. His menacing glowing eyes, rusty orange frame, and various sorts of armaments on his customized body made him _very_ intimidating.

Which was perfect for HK-47 when he personally looked for the needed droid like body parts required to give him a brand new, yet terrifying look.

"Threatening Tone: Attention all meat bags in this room, you are about to die. That being said, please try to die with some measure of dignity worthy of your meat bag races," said HK-47 before he fired from right to left at the individuals in the room using his superb targeting computer to aim at his assigned targets.

Namely Savage Oppress in the corner with the Zabrak's armor being destroyed and his flesh having numerous holes in it. Several of them hitting key organs in the chest and one being in his helmet covered head with a hole the size of a human fist coming out the other end. Several other Senators in the Loyalists Committee also were slain along with three Jedi Masters, one Jedi Knight, Representative Binks, and at least ten Senatorial Guards.

HK-47 intentionally missed Senator Amidala and the Supreme Chancellor during the shooting per Darth Vader's orders since he didn't want them dead. However, the Sith Lord did say to try and injure the elderly man to some degree if it was possible.

When the firing stopped, HK-47 looked at the destruction he caused with a sense of pride since his task had been completed to the letter. Sure a few of the Senators and Jedi were still alive, but that was expected, and ordered by his Master to proceed with their part of the plan. The war would begin soon and HK-47 had been chosen by Vader to be the spark to light the fuse that would soon ignite the explosion that would bring about the Clone Wars.

In short, Darth Vader was quickly becoming his second favorite Sith Lord of all time.

"Proud Statement: Long live the Separatists! Down with the Republic! Let all those meat bags who are corrupt and foul die painful deaths! Let all their pawns serving them be cast down and destroyed! Let all those who are ignorant of things be ignorant no longer! Let all eyes be open and the truth exposed for all to see and hear! Rise all those who believe in the righteous cause and be silent no longer!" exclaimed HK-47 as if he were projecting the beliefs of someone's manifesto through his vocal systems.

With his piece said, HK-47 released smoke bombs from his body to cover his escape, and detonated several explosives throughout the Senate building on the outer surface. Nothing major or crucial in a strategic sense, but the explosions themselves would be enough of a distraction for the local authorities while the Jedi were no doubt heading this way.

One of the reasons his Master had sent HK-47 was because the Jedi would not be able to sense the droid, and the Sith Lord had added some modifications to the customized body itself. Namely to change the color of the overall body plating from orange to green (HK had expressed his dislike for that color to the Sith Lord, but for some reason the droid wouldn't say why) and had made it so that the optical color of the droid's "eyes" would become a disarming, yet innocent sky blue. The large mini-gun HK used was not part of his body so it could be dropped at any time to avoid people staring at him. Any and all weapons secretly located within his body were hidden and could not be picked up by any of the scanning technology the local authorities possessed.

In short, HK-47's body was designed to blend into the crowd shortly after killing a group of people in public during the day.

"Statement: It is done Master. The mission was a success," said HK-47 while entering a small rented apartment belonging to a low level bounty hunter and activating the Holo-communicator.

A bounty hunter which he silently killed a few days earlier with a vibro knife to the throat before disposing of the body. As far as the owner knew, the bounty hunter was alive, and HK was his protocol droid. Hence why the droid kept his disguise on long after entering the apartment.

Just in case someone decided to snoop around.

"Good. Now the Jedi will be more actively involved. I take it Savage Oppress was among those you killed?" asked Vader while HK nodded.

"Absolute Assurance: Yes Master. He was the first meat bag I shot. Several of his vital organs were punctured through the armor as well as one blaster shot to his armored head. Rest assured, he will not be getting up after that. I am also pleased to report my attack has also successfully injured our secondary target per your order. The Senator from Naboo is alive as well. Shaken from the attack no doubt, but very much alive per your instructions. The Gungan representative however, was not so fortunate. I have also ended the lives of several Jedi Masters and one Jedi Knight along with several Senatorial Guards who were also in the room. The three Jedi Masters known as Yoda, Mundi, and Windu were sadly able to avoid being killed by my attack," reported HK-47 while Vader nodded and didn't mind the three Jedi Masters being spared.

He had plans for them later anyway.

"It is time to leave the planet HK, but be discreet about it. Stay in your 'Protocol Droid' form no matter what. Even if they suspect you and try to detain you. Once off world, head to a neutral planet before getting passage to another further into the Outer Rim. I need you making your way to Geonosis and be a guard assigned to the talks Count Dooku is having with the Separatist Leaders in one week's time," ordered Vader while HK-47 nodded in understanding.

"Query: Do you think the Jedi meat bags will be smart enough to trace everything to the planet Master?" asked HK-47 since he had doubts the Jedi of this time would be smart enough to figure things out.

The Jedi from _Revan's time_ were a different story. Unlike the Jedi Order of the present, the Jedi from HK-47's time of being made were forged of much sterner stuff. Constantly keeping their skills and mind sharp by the conflicts created by the Mandalorians and later the Sith. HK-47 was honestly disappointed in the Jedi Order of this time and how they had just let themselves become stagnant to the point of never progressing further as time went by. They had become the top of the food chain, but had no rivals to push them to fight and stay on top. Their desire to exist beyond the base minimum of reasons being to protect the Republic had weakened them to the point of being vulnerable on multiple fronts.

Which the Sith had been waiting to expose for some time when the Jedi Order was at its weakest.

"It doesn't matter. Sooner or later, they will track you to Geonosis as planned. If you don't lead them there, Jango Fett will in your place. He's already been given his instructions on what to do should a Jedi from the Order pay him a visit and ask questions about the clone army ordered to be commissioned by Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas. Just be sure to get over to Geonosis before the assigned Jedi they send to snoop around does," said Vader with HK-47 nodded in understanding.

"Statement: I understand Master. Rest assured, one way or another, I will arrive at my assigned destination," said HK-47 before turning off the communicator and crushed it in his hands.

The droid couldn't risk it being found, much less intact should someone come snooping into the room once the bounty hunter living here was eventually found to not being living here.

Or was in fact no longer living at all.

(Geonosis-Secret Room-Sometime Later)

"It went as planned. Just as you said it would. The Jedi Council has assigned Obi-wan Kenobi, Qui-gon Jinn, and Anakin Skywalker to the investigation. My sources tell me Kenobi has gone to investigate Kamino after discovering the evidence needed to go there. It won't be long before he finds Jango Fett and learns he was the who killed that hired assassin Sidious sent after Senator Amidala of Naboo. Not to mention the clone army my old friend secretly commissioned to fight in this soon to be Galactic War," said Count Dooku while looking at Vader as they waited for the remaining Separatists Leaders to arrive on the planet and meet for this to become truly official in signing the Confederacy of Independent Systems into life.

"And while he does this, Anakin Skywalker along with Qui-gon Jinn are assigned to the protection of Senator Amidala. Just as I have foreseen," said Vader with Dooku nodding since that was the plan.

"I would have felt it more prudent for Jango Fett to fight his way past Obi-wan Kenobi and to arrive here for the Jedi to follow," commented Dooku while Vader shook his head.

"Not necessarily. Even if Jango were to be taken prisoner or interrogated by the Jedi, they would see in his mind what we allow them to see. Master Sifo-Dyas commissioning him to be part of the clone army the Jedi Master himself ordered without the Jedi Council's approval. Jango doesn't know of our involvement to that degree with your old friend. When word gets out of the bounty hunter being used for the template of the clones, the Republic will want to keep him on Kamino to make more clones, and train them on how to fight. We want to ensure Jango can deny his involvement with us or at the very least, as much as possible. While Jango Fett is a professional bounty hunter, he only knows the name of the client, who is Sifo-Dyas. Not Count Dooku and certainly not Darth Vader," said Vader while he knew Jango had disliked the Jedi for what happened with the True Mandalorians and how Death Watch set them up to be killed by the Jedi Order.

Vader made a mental note to visit Jango in the future in secret to make a promise to the bounty hunter in terms of getting his revenge on all the guilty parties still alive from the event to be punished for it.

"Is that why your droid is here in his place? To help connect him to us and start the war?" asked Dooku with the former Jedi being impressed by HK-47 and his sophistication.

It was clear HK-47 was far superior to the droids of this time.

"Yes. Soon, the Supreme Chancellor will be given Emergency Powers by the Senate to combat this issue with us. Once he does, the approval of the clone army will be made a reality. The clone army itself will be upon us shortly. How goes the secret order for data transferring?" said Vader since he knew what was about to happen.

"It is going well. Poggle the Lesser is overseeing it now. He was quite surprised that you would commission him to produce a massive orbital research station the size of a small moon," said Dooku while Vader turned to look at him.

"Considering the alternative that they would build through Sidious's machination, I think it is still quite the project to behold," said Vader since he felt turning the initial plans for the Death Star into something that didn't blow up planets.

"Indeed. But why do you wish Sidious to believe we are building a super weapon like the one you mentioned during our first meeting?" asked Dooku while confused by this.

"To put fear in his heart. If Sidious believes we are making a super weapon or have the plans to make a super weapon, he will seek to acquire it by any means necessary. He will waste resources, agents, and other assets to acquire what we possess. I want him to try all these things in order to weaken his position and ultimately...expose him to the Galaxy," said Vader while Dooku nodding in understanding.

"And once exposed, removing him along with those of his inner circle will be all the more easier," commented Dooku while Vader nodded.

"Removing Sidious isn't as easy as one would think. It has to be justified in the eyes of the Republic, the Jedi, and the Galaxy as a whole. When he dies, the man must not be seen as a martyr, or a good person who shouldn't have been killed by his enemies. His allies and his inner circle will need to be seen as monsters too. Those who knew who he was behind the robes. What he was behind those robes. What he was planning for the Republic and the Galaxy. We must expose everyone connected to him to ensure none of them can rise or attempt to power in his place," said Vader since any subordinates of the Sith Lord could seek to empower themselves and try to get revenge or play their own hands for a chance of rule some measure of territory.

If only for a time.

A beeping sound from Dooku's waist drew the Count's attention to the device in hand and a projection of a Jedi Star Fighter appeared showing Republic markings. It was shown to be flying into a discreet area near the droid factories, but not close enough to detected by the sentry posts there.

The only reason Dooku was even alerted to the arrival of the Jedi's ship was because he had additional sensor security systems in place to alert him.

"It seems Obi-wan Kenobi in finally here," said Count Dooku.

"And just in time. The other leaders for the meeting have arrived as well. Time to play your part as the soon to be Chief-of-State," said Vader with Dooku nodding knowing his charismatic way of talking to people would draw them all to his side.

It was time for Vader to make himself scare and to bring about the start of the Clone Wars...but with a twist!

(Serenno-Sometime Later)

"The Force is with us Lord Vader. The war has begun as you have foreseen," said Dooku after he got out of his personal solar sail ship.

"Excellent. We have drawn first blood with our actions. While Geonosis is lost for now as was expected, it does not mean we will abandon the planet or its people. The fact Poggle the Lesser made sure his people buried themselves deep underground prior to the attack while the droids did all the fighting will only work to our advantage in the future with them," said Vader while he walked with the Count to a nearby balcony with HK-47 waiting for them.

"Statement: The populace below are waiting for your announcement Count Dooku. We are also ready to broadcast Galaxy wide. I would recommend being as charismatic as possible. Nothing sells patriotism from subordinates like a meat bag with charisma," said HK-47 while Dooku gave him a small scowl before walking forward to the podium that had been arranged for this moment.

Dooku thought Raxus would be an idea spot for his speech, but Vader felt if he was going to address the Galaxy, it should be done on his home world to show everyone that all of Serenno was with him. Doing it on another world and having to hijack and slice into the Republic's communication system in that area said otherwise. It would make Dooku look like a terrorist forming his own revolutionary government that acted through questionable means over the very ideals he preached.

Hence why the Count giving the speech here would make people throughout the Galaxy think otherwise.

"It is an honor to stand before you, for you represent the freedom and the future of our galaxy. The once-great Republic and Jedi Order have become victims of their own ambitions, and the Supreme Chancellor is no more than a pawn of corporate monopolies. As a people you called out for change, you called out for leadership, and I humbly answered that call. Together we challenged the system. We asked for equality. And how were we met? With war! The Jedi secret army of clones was revealed, and their treachery was far greater than we could have imagined! Countless living beings—these clones the Jedi created—have been sent to their deaths, while we sacrifice mainly droids. Our soldiers of flesh and blood are willing participants! They are your fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, who fight not because they were grown and designed to do so, but because they know in their hearts that they are fighting for a just and noble cause!" stated Dooku with the people below him going into a frenzy along with the people on other worlds that supported the Separatists movement.

They heard the passion, the conviction, and belief in his words with Holo-images of the Republic's actions in various policies throughout the Galaxy causing more harm than good. The poor suffering from the lack of food, clothing, and homes on Republic worlds while those Senators who represent these planets are seen living a life of luxury. Each Senator from these words was shown laughing while sitting in comfy chairs, eating the finest food, drinking expensive drinks, and even some indulging in rather... _questionable_ activities/vices not truly meant to be seen by the public eyes of the Galaxy.

"How many times will the corruption in the Senate be ignored? The Supreme Chancellor claims to be in control of the Senate. But is he truly in control? His predecessor, Supreme Chancellor Valorum was once under the thumb of these very bureaucrats. Who is to say he is not in the same position? Who is to say these corrupt Senators only elected him so to use his position for their own selfish ends? How many more times must the people as a whole within the Galaxy suffer so the few at the top can enjoy the spoils created by this suffering? How much longer must we endure seeing the ignorance of the Jedi Order and their constant bowing to the whims of a corrupt Senate? How much longer must we and the entire Galaxy let stagnation and corruption run amuck? Fight for change! Fight for freedom! Stand up! Stand up people of the Galaxy! Stand up and fight! Stand up and say 'No more!'" exclaimed Count Dooku with while sensing the people of his home world and throughout the Galaxy going into a frenzy over his speech.

"Amusing Statement: Say what you will about this particular meat bag, he knows how to inspire a crowd," said HK-47 while observing the scene around him.

"That's the idea HK. The Confederacy has risen. The droid army is ready. Our Generals are ready. The Republic has their clone army and soon to be Jedi Generals. The Clone Wars has begun," said Vader while watching Dooku bask in the light of the support the people loyal to the Confederacy cheered on its Chief-of-State.

"Additional Comment: On an unrelated note Master, I have the secret recording you asked me to obtain on Naboo. Query: Is there some significance to this recording that is important Master?" asked HK-47 before handing the device over to Vader.

When the Sith Lord activated the device, it revealed the recording HK had provided him of a special moment in time.

The wedding of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. The two saying their sacred vows, expressing their love before the Nubian priest performing the ceremony, and the kiss the two lovers shared. The witnesses to this event were two droids, Anakin's Mother Shimi Skywalker, and to Vader's slight surprise...Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn.

Of course he would be there. Unlike with Obi-wan in the alternative timeline, Anakin was more open with Qui-gon, and the kind Jedi Master did not frown upon the idea of his apprentice marrying Padme. He wanted his student to be happy. To know the joys of life and give Anakin a reason to put all his efforts into protecting the Galaxy.

Vader knew if Obi-wan learned of this, the fool would have either told the Jedi Council, tried to crash/cancel the wedding, or both if time allowed. The always "follow the rules" and "by the book" Jedi Knight never did know when rules had to be broken or changed with the times. The Jedi Order never allowing its members to know attachments. Bah! Attachments to places and people gave people purpose. Without it, a person doesn't put their full effort into life, and can only fight for with minimum effort. Anakin Skywalker, Hero of the Clone Wars fought with a purpose everyday, getting stronger and stronger with each battle because he fought with a _purpose_.

The Jedi Order as a whole never did that. Not since before the Ruusan Formation. They felt love and attachments were paths to the Dark Side. And to some degree, it was true. Case in point with Vader when he was Anakin Skywalker and his love for Padme turned him into the notorious Sith Lord of legend. At the same time, love could bring out the light in a person filled with darkness, and turn them from being a Sith. Again, case in point was once again Darth Vader with saving his son from the Emperor when the foul monster tried to kill Luke with Force Lightning.

In truth, love was a path that could lead to darkness or light. It was all how one walked the path and which way there were headed.

As for Darth Vader himself, his mind wondered for a short time while watching the recording until it ended before repeating it over and over again.

Until finally he stopped.

"Query: Master, if this recording upsets you, I would suggest crushing it into tiny pieces," said HK-47 while Vader looked at confusion.

"Why would you suggest that HK?" asked Vader curiously.

"Concerned Statement: Master you may not realize this, but you are currently leaking water from your eyes right now. I believe the term is crying," answered HK-47 with Vader raising a hand to his face and felt the tears were in fact coming from his eyes.

"So it would appear. No matter. The crying is not from pain or sadness HK. They are tears...of joy!" stated Vader while HK tiled his head in confusion.

"Query: I do not understand Master. Why are you crying tears of joy?" asked HK-47 with a hint of curiosity.

"Personal reason HK. Persona reasons," replied Vader before he pocketed the recording and walked away.

All was going according to plan.

The clone army led by the Jedi attacked Geonosis. Broadcast in secret to the Galaxy as an unprovoked invasion by the Republic. All to rescue a single Jedi, who was trespassing on a world he did not have clearance to be on! The Senator of Naboo, Padme Amidala, with her Jedi bodyguards Qui-gon Jinn, and Anakin Skywalker had arrived prior to the attack. Hoping to use diplomacy before violence to erupt only for the Republic to show its true colors in attacking before any diplomacy could take place.

Vader made sure that unlike last time, Dooku was talking to Padme in the very meeting room he did the other Separatist leaders. The gladiatorial arena of Geonosis was hardly a place for talking peace after all. They had barely finished talking about freeing Obi-wan and moving onto larger matters when the clone army attacked the planet. Thus making it seem as if the Republic was out for blood and was not the civil government the Senator believed in.

 _It seems the Republic is more eager to strike down the Confederacy than I first thought my old Padawan. Barely born and already it is being targeted by those fearful of change. Not only unlike your Padawan and how the Jedi Order as a whole fears him for the same reason. I understand young Skywalker believes change is needed for the Jedi to survive and even an ancient prophecy surrounds him. It should be interesting to see how that unfolds in the future that is to come._

Those had been Dooku's words to Qui-gon while Geonosis was being attacked outside by the Republic's troops. Padme had denied it being a trap outright and wanted to find a way to continue negotiations despite what was happening. But Dooku had refused since it was no longer the time nor place to have potential peace talks.

 _One cannot talk of peace when a weapon is being pointed at the throat by the other side with the intent to thrust it into the vital area. You wished to speak to me of peace and to prevent war Senator and that is commendable. However, those you apparently speak on behalf of at the moment do not share your vision. They seek blood, death, and violence on a Galactic scale. Did my actions have a part in it? Perhaps to a degree. However, the issues with the Republic and the corruption in it has been festering like an unclean and filthy wound. Becoming putrid. Filled with a foul puss that leaves an even fouler stench so horrifying it creates the desire to wretch and gag. That is the depths of the corruption in the Republic my dear Senator. If the Republic were a garden, you would be a rare moon flower shining with a light few dare to look at or have the courage to be near. A rare flower surround by weeds, filth, garbage and other foul things that would seek to make you wilt and die. I offer you a chance to join the Confederacy young Senator. For your world to have a clean fresh start. You don't have to make a decision now, given our current situation, but at least think about it._

Those had been the Count's words to Padme before he left the room with his Geonosian bodyguards while Padme left with her Jedi escort to the landing pad they had docked. The Nubian ship barely escaping the bombardment and only communication with the Republic warships above prevented them from being shot down.

From his quarters on Serenno provided by the generous Count, Vader watched the news showing the broadcast of the Supreme Chancellor watching the new Grand Army of the Republic being deployed. The gentle caring smile he showed, hiding the true smile that was behind it. A sinister and evil smile that relished the war the Galaxy was about to suffer in the next few years. Beside him, Bail Organa looked on with worry, and fear for what this sudden war will do to the Galaxy.

Vader knew. He knew all too well.

The Clone Wars will be bloody and brutal. Not as it was in the alternative timeline, but still bloody all the same. Vader would ensure Sidious was exposed, the war eventually united the Galaxy to a brand new Republic, and help his Jedi counterpart be the man he was always meant to be in life.

It was time to set things in motion to bring balance to the Force.

(A/N: YAY! Another update. Hope you like it. Took some doing. Tired from work and other things keeps the time to write stuff at bay. So be patient with me in my writing my fics. Until next time...PEACE!)


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7-Pieces are Moving

Onboard his personal flagship _The Iron Will_ , one Captain and Eriadu Governor Wilhuff Tarkin was not amused. He was never amused. Always serious. Always striving forward and striking down anyone who stands in his way. He was ambitious like that. Like his family members before him serving as Governors and Senators before him for his home planet. It was one of the many things his family taught him when growing up on such a world such as Eriadu in order to be considered strong. He had been taught how to survive and fight against the harsh wilderness of his own world and proven himself worthy of the name Tarkin.

To be ruthless and ambitious. To destroy your enemies no matter what! Even when they neither had the means or the strength to oppose you. To never give them a means to rise up. To never gather strength. To never know what it feels like to be truly free from your control. For control was everything. To have a strong iron fist wrapped around the throat of your world, your system, and the very Galaxy itself before squeezing the life out of it until all opposition fell into line.

That was the ultimate ambition. The ultimate form of ruthlessness. It was Tarkin's vision to see such a moment in time where all things in the Universe bowed to a central power. A central power that decided the fate of all and none had the might or right to oppose it in any shape or form.

And Tarkin himself among the elite of this central power, if not _THE_ central power. To rise above his current station to the point where no one could do anything except breathe without his permission.

But alas, such a dream was becoming more and more a dream over reality. The Republic was launching one campaign after another against the Separatists with Jedi Generals now leading the Clone Army against them. An already expensive endeavor, but one Tarkin saw being a very much needed necessity given the number of battle droids the Separatists were producing every day. Clones required time to grow, to be trained, conditioned, and ultimately tested before being sent out for their assignments.

As for battle droids, they simply required being put together by machines and came off an assembly line after having their programming installed. The only reason the droids didn't overrun the Republic was because the clones the Republic had now could take down well over a thousand of them for every ten clones that died. Add to the fact the Jedi Generals were doing everything in their power to destroy said battle droids by the freighter full also helped too.

But even still, it was proving to feel like a stalemate at times. The Separatists had quite a few skilled Generals in their corner too. One of them being the male Kaleesh General, who went by the name Grievous. A brilliant tactician given his years fighting the "Huk" as the Kaleesh had called them. Skilled with in the use of firing a blaster rifle and with swords for close quarter combat.

There was also another Kaleesh, a female counterpart to Grievous, calling herself General Calamitous, among their ranks, and was said to match even Jedi themselves in the way of sword combat. The deadly warrior woman had fought and killed quite a few Jedi Knights alongside her male counterpart while taking the Lightsabers of the most skilled of their kills as trophies.

As for the Lightsabers of the slain Jedi, who were poor at fighting, they were returned to the Jedi Temple, and stained in the blood of their former users. A reminder and message by the Kaleesh to the Jedi for their enemies to send better warriors against them.

Add to the assassins the Separatists were employing at cost the Republic officers capable of leading troops into battle didn't help either. There were even rumors of some Jedi who left the Order and joined the Separatists and were teaching, if not forming a new Order of Force Users somewhere in the Outer Rim.

And finally, there was the Sith Lord leading the military campaigns against the Republic.

Darth Vader: Supreme Commander of the Confederacy Army.

'Darth Vader,' thought Tarkin with a scowl forming further on his face while he sat in his office in his ship while reading over reports of the man's exploits.

The Sith Lord had been the biggest thorn in the side of the Republic, Jedi, and Chancellor Palpatine after the former Jedi now turned Separatists Leader Count Dooku had named the man Supreme Commander of their army. Many Jedi, both Knights and Masters had gone against him in battle, both in space and the ground. They were either bested by the Sith Lord personally in battle or by the very strategies he implemented to show just how incompetent the Jedi and Republic as a whole were against him.

If only there was some way to best him. But how?

It was bad enough the man was a skilled tactician, but the Sith Lord seemed to have the power to change the course of any battle when in it. Tarkin himself had, to his shame, lost several such battles when fighting a Separatists fleet in space, and to make matters even worse when he had the superior number of ships. Victory was practically assured in those battles until Vader himself came in with a handful of ships, plus his personal fighter, and decimated the fleet Tarkin commanded.

The Chancellor had not been pleased. Twice Tarkin was denied promotion in rank as a result of his failures and was threatened three times with demotion if he wasn't careful.

That was four months ago when Vader had won his third victory over

A beeping sound on his terminal interrupted Tarkin's thoughts and he frowned since the Eriadu native had given orders to his men (all of them from Eriadu) to not be disturbed. That was another problem recently, as his ship was having a wide variety of problems, and it was upsetting to say the least. It was the main reason he was in his office to vent silently at what was happening with his ship and his small task force sized fleet he had been given to launch an expedition to the Outer Rim. Protocol and maintenance droids were malfunctioning, crewman were either becoming ill and late for work, or they were simply not on the ship anymore. Already his ship was now running at only half strength with many of the internal systems having issue in terms of glitches or malfunctions no one could explain.

And those who could possibly fix the issues were either ill or missing.

It was humiliating in Tarkin's mind. Three times, he commanded a massive Republic fleet capable of attacking any Separatist planet and crushing them with ease. And now? Now he was reduced to a small task force expedition to scout for said planets, but not engage them.

It might as well have been a demotion in all but name.

Another beeping sound interrupted his thoughts once more.

"What?! I specifically commanded to not be disturbed right now!" exclaimed Tarkin, as jammed his finger harshly on the intercom of his desk to talk to whoever was remotely stupid enough to contact him of all times.

 _"My apologies Captain Tarkin, but your only remaining Protocol droid on the ship is requesting to speak with you immediately. It apparently_ _ **insists**_ _on the matter, as this is in regards to a diagnostic test the droid was running on the ship's systems, and might have found an answer to the problem,"_ said the man who Tarkin recognized as one of his few remaining officers not missing or ill on the ship.

"Did you inform the clearly incompetent droid that I didn't wish to be disturbed?" asked Tarkin with his tone being cold enough to rival Hoth.

 _"I did sir. But the damn droid seems to think it has the answer and you will want to hear the news. It apparently won't take no for an answer despite my numerous attempts to tell it otherwise,"_ said the officer on the intercom with his voice sounding irritated at being harassed by the mentioned droid.

"Fine! Send it in. Maybe I can get some good news for once," answered Tarkin before he let out a sigh.

Sure enough, the door to his office opened with the protocol droid of lime green color, and slightly odd design walking into the room. It was one Tarkin had seen in passing and doing maintenance around the ship from time to time when not serving food or drinks to the rest of the crew. Out of all the protocol and maintenance droids on his flag ship prior to malfunctioning, this one was clearly the most competent one here.

It just had an odd way of speaking.

"Statement: Master, I have gone over the systems malfunctioning on the ship with a very suitable diagnostic test. From what my analysis has been able to determine, your ship has been suffering from a computer virus designed to cause random systematic problems at random points in time. Conclusion: The only way this virus could have been put in the system, is if someone uploaded it into the primary computer with the proper access codes, and voice commands to bypass the voice recognition security system," said the protocol droid.

"Sabotage!" said Tarkin furiously at this news.

One of his own men he personally handpicked from Eriadu was a spy and traitor! On his ship! The insolence of it all!

"Answer: You are correct Master. I have concluded whoever did this was an influential officer on your ship. Suspicious Query: Do you think it was multiple saboteurs Master? Given how so many on the ship are missing?" asked the protocol droid curiously while Tarkin himself narrowed his eyes at the thought.

"Possibly. Until now, I wouldn't even think of it. But seeing how so many of my crew are either supposedly ill or missing, I am starting to believe that my entire ship is no longer secure. Maybe even the entire 'fleet' I have with me," said Tarkin while the protocol droid gave an almost invisible nod.

"Concerned Statement: Master, if what you say is true, it would be prudent to send out a discreet distress signal back to Coruscant to request some measure of assistance," offered the protocol droid while Tarkin looked at it like the damn thing just suggested fighting for the Separatists.

"Absolutely not! I have already been disgraced too much already during this war. If I sent out a distress signal now over something like this, it would only bring me further shame to me. Not only to myself, but the Tarkin name. I might as well die at this point in order to prevent further embarrassment!" exclaimed Tarkin angrily while standing up from his chair and glaring at the protocol droid.

Only to frown in confusion when the said droid's eyes glowed for a moment.

"Giddy statement: You cannot imagine how happy I am to hear that coming from a meat bag like yourself," said the protocol droid with the lime green coloring shifted to a rusty orange that made Tarkin's eyes widen.

HK-47. Darth Vader's prized assassin droid and another fear entity among the Separatists own forces. How did he not notice it sooner?!

Many wondered why Darth Vader didn't mass produce the droid given its skills in killing people so effectively. From what Republic spies and intelligence were able to determine, the droid itself refused to let anyone or anything duplicate him in any sense of the word. It preferred to be unique among all other droids in the Galaxy with there being no room for copies, duplicates, or crude imitations of its "grand splendor".

To have no equal among the profession whether they were droids or organics with Vader respecting HK-47's wishes on the matter.

"You! You did this to me! You sabotaged the systems on my ship. You destroyed all of the other protocol and maintenance droids. And you no doubt poisoned half my officers while killed the other half before disposing of the bodies!" exclaimed Tarkin furiously while sensing the droid was quite smug about it.

"Proud Statement: Correct you pompous meat bag. I have done all these things and much more. Soon, you and the rest of your meat bag soldiers will be particles, and space dust to never see another planet ever again. Additional Statement: I truly do love my job," said HK-47 before pulled out a blaster rifle hidden in a secret compartment of his body and blasted Tarkin right in the chest with enough force behind it to knock the man back into his chair before slumping against it.

As for HK, he was somewhat disappointed at how much effort it took to get to this point in killing his intended target. Thanks to Vader's slicer techs and spies on Coruscant, the droid was able to be assigned to _The_ _Iron Will_ without anyone realizing the manifest was in error regarding the number of Protocol droids the ship should have on board. Not too surprising since everyone was focused more on battle droids over Protocol droids. Not that HK wasn't scanned by security like the other droids for good measure, but the fact they didn't detect anything out of the ordinary, or the fact the troopers scanning him did not look very interested in their job further proved his assumption correct.

If you didn't look like a battle droid, the troopers around you didn't give two credits what you did so long as they believed you weren't armed.

So with that in mind, HK used his status as a Protocol droid to infiltrate the ship in order to assassinate Tarkin per his Master's orders. Darth Vader made it quite clear that Tarkin was to be killed on his own ship, but the only plausible explanation behind his death were his crew and the other ships in the task force being assigned to the Outer Rim had pulled a mutiny with the end result being the destruction of the entire task force fleet with no survivors. A distress signal would of course be activated, but by the time any such ships from the Republic came, the task force would be destroyed by a well timed explosion from power bombs planted in key areas of each ship. Anyone on each ship who could have detect, disarmed, or alerted Tarkin of these things were either killed or discreetly, yet badly poisoned via there food and drinks.

HK hated to admit it, but the Noghri were very good at their job when it came to using the ancient art of infiltration and killing their own targets without being detected. Not as good as HK himself (in his processor), but pretty damn close. They had been in the other ships of the small fleet Tarkin had been assigned to help speed things along since HK couldn't leave his primary target's ship unless necessary and without raising suspicion.

As for the escape route, there was a shuttle on the _Iron Will_ that could take the droid, and the Noghri off each ships before the bombs went off. Afterwards, they would travel to a temporary Separatists outpost in this sector of space, emphasis on the temporary, and get on another ship where they would rendezvous with the Sith Lord's fleet.

All in all, a job well done.

(Coruscant-Chancellor's Office)

Palpatine was in a foul mood. Very foul. His control over his emotions was slipping with each passing day. He could feel it! The Dark Side was clawing viciously at his very self control. Mocking him at every turn. He needed to vent. To unleash his hatred. To unleash the _real_ him. To remove the shackles of the benevolent Chancellor Palpatine and reveal the real entity behind the false persona that was Darth Sidious.

But he couldn't. At least not yet. No. The time was not right. The Jedi Order were hunting for any and all Sith in the Galaxy. The Senate itself was mostly Anti-Sith and Pro-Jedi at this point. The plan to turn public opinion of the Jedi within the Senate and the Galaxy as a whole into one filled with negativity was imploding as a result. The Jedi themselves were acting selfless for the most part, sans a few of the more emotionless Jedi out on the field of battle. However, those like Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn and his former apprentice now Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker were keeping the opinion of the Jedi Order strong, for the most part.

Ironic since Palpatine had wanted to turn Anakin into a Sith Lord one day and bring the view of the Jedi through him into the negative side of things. And even more strange was instead of Anakin coming to him when seeking advise, Obi-wan Kenobi did in his place. The now well respected Jedi Master of the Order had some clear resentment of how Qui-gon had favored young Anakin Skywalker during the boy's training. A resentment, which was actually shared by some Jedi Masters within the Order, who were ultimately afraid of the prophecy surrounding the young Jedi Knight. Something Palpatine secretly nurtured during conversations with Kenobi whether in passing about politics or the war itself.

The simple fact Obi-wan Kenobi never realized that Sidious had brought up Anakin and Qui-gon during nearly every single one of their conversations to provoke such a thing just proved the Jedi were truly blind beyond even his wildest expectations.

The Chosen One who was said to bring about the true end of the Sith and bring balance to the Force. That was what the ancient prophecy said. But was balance? True balance? The Jedi embraced the Light Side and the Sith embraced the Dark Side. One side could not be more powerful over the other. Not forever. With every dawn, there was a dusk. With the rising of the Sun there must also be a setting of it for the night and darkness that comes.

The Jedi wanted their place in the Sun to last. No. That wasn't accurate. They wanted the Sun and the light they basked in to stay in the sky forever. Never to set. Never to let the darkness set in and take control.

They were fools in Sidious's mind. Fighting such an inevitable outcome was like trying to fight the tidal waves of Kamino during a storm while in a small poorly crafted wooden boat. It was as if the Jedi were fighting the Force itself. Fighting its Will. Its command. Its desire.

Granted Sidious had been doing that on his own, even when learning from Plagueis about the Force, and how it did not take usurping its Will lightly.

Sidious knew from what happened during his own experiences that the Force countered every move made against it. Each defeat was costly. Almost exposing Sidious and even Plagueis on numerous occasions for the moves made against it.

After Sidious had slain his Master, the Sith Lord felt it was best to keep his usurping of the Force to a minimum since the Jedi Order were doing plenty of that for both sides with the way they handled things.

Why make the Force his enemy when it could become Sidious's involuntarily ally?

'Though there are times I suspect the Force is only giving me hollow victories,' thought Sidious while receiving the report of Tarkin's demise through treachery from his own people from Eriadu.

He had hoped Tarkin's expedition into the Outer Rim with the task force would help in secretly finding the infamous and legendary moving world known as Zonama Sekot. He had given Tarkin three large fleets and had them sent to the Outer Rim to not only fight the Separatists, but to find the moving planet rumored to be in each sector Tarkin had been assigned.

Only for Darth Vader to destroy all three fleets given to Tarkin when the proud fool had engaged the supposedly weaker enemy fleets in battle.

It was actually a shame the man wasn't interested in being his apprentice. Sidious could have taught the man a thing or two about plans and thinking ahead. But given how Vader was already rivaling him in power, it was best not to make such an offer. For one thing, Sidious knew Vader would never accept becoming his apprentice due to how the man loathed him for some unknown reason. And the second, Sidious had a strong feeling that IF Vader accepted, the man would work quickly to kill him to follow the Rule of Two per its requirements.

It was bad enough the man had altered the intended outcome years ago on Naboo, but now he was alternating the outcome of the Clone Wars, and the Grand Plan as a whole!

Speaking of Naboo, his own successor as its Senator, and representative in the Republic Senate had left the Republic to form an independent coalition of neutral planets. Neutral! Thousands of planets, some key to the victory or defeat for either side of the war were all trying to stay out of the war. The fact the woman in question was a representative of his home planet made things worse since some Senators in the Republic felt he could not act as the Supreme Chancellor due to such an action by Amidala. They questioned his ability to run the Republic and be its Supreme Chancellor while the war raged on. His political powerbase in the Senate as Palpatine was weakened considerably and even his Sith Lord form Darth Sidious had felt the blow too.

The Sith Lord made a mental note to have Amidala arrested and tortured for that move _after_ the Republic was turned into the Empire.

A beep on his desk intercom system brought him back to the present.

 _"Sorry to bother you Chancellor, but Obi-wan Kenobi is here to see you,"_ said the Aid to the Chancellor.

"Thank you. Send him in," replied Palpatine while using those few minutes it took the Jedi to get to his office and composed himself to become his friendly Chancellor persona.

"Chancellor," said Obi-wan politely while Sidious gave him a gentle smile.

"Master Kenobi. I do appreciate your visit to my office. The strains of politics theses days can be quite the burden and the need for conversations unrelated to such things are most welcome," said Palpatine while Obi-wan smiled back.

"Thank you Chancellor. Though I'm afraid my conversation with you here today revolves more around the war and the idea for a campaign against the Separatists," said Obi-wan while Palpatine looked somewhat interested.

"By all means, share your idea with me Master Kenobi. I look forward to hearing about it," said Palpatine knowing he could either use the Jedi's plan to kill more of the Order if it was a promising one or use the campaign to weaken Vader.

Either way, Sidious was going to benefit no matter what.

( _The Devastator_ -Orbiting Murkhana-Sometime Later)

"Sir, I detected a large Republic Fleet headed our way," said a B2 super battle droid.

"As I thought they would. No doubt trying to shut down Shadowfeed. It only took them a little longer than expected," said Vader while his forces in space were in position to help repel the enemy.

"Sir, Comm. chatter from the other side indicates that General Kenobi along with General Plo Koon are the Generals leading the charge," said a communication droid designed to intercept enemy communications.

"Kenobi. Inform Sifo-Dias and proceed with the operation. Do not kill Jedi Master Plo Koon. Disable his star fighter if you can and capture him alive. As for Kenobi, I will deal with him myself on the planet's surface," said Vader before leaving the ship and the order went out to his forces.

(Republic Cruiser- _The Perseverance_ )

"He's here. I can sense him," said Obi-wan firmly with a sense of unease in his heart.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this Obi-wan? Darth Vader has fought and killed countless Jedi so far during this war. Many have fallen by his blade already and few have been spared by his hand," warned Plo Koon while he had heard the stories of the Sith Lord besting some of their very best Masters in Lightsaber combat.

"Someone has to fight him. Besides, the planet has been transmitting all of the Separatists propaganda throughout the Galaxy. If we don't shut it down now, the Republic will lose more key worlds to them. We already lost quite a few Mid-Rim worlds and half the Outer Rim is already under their control because they prey on the desperate lawless places for recruitment with false promises of a 'better life' under the Sith Lord's rule," said Obi-wan bitterly since several worlds had left the Republic for this "Confederacy of Independent Systems" or chose to be neutral with the other delegation former Senator Padme Amidala had created.

The simple fact that this woman and Naboo broke away from the Republic had been all the more devastating, if slightly justified. Many could see why she did it. The Republic Senate had done little to aid her until solid proof was presented to them of the invasion by the Trade Federation. The Senate had shown multiple signs of incompetence, corruption, greed, and caring only for themselves despite what a few of the Senators tried to do to the contrary.

Add the fact the Shadowfeed (which they just learned about recently) was broadcasting countless incriminating things about many Republic Senators only made the Republic itself look the part of the villain even more in all of this. The Jedi did what they could to save the principles, if not the spirit of the Republic, but the Separatists were relentless, and their actions had caused quite a few promising Jedi to suddenly leave the Order.

Sifo-Dias

Quinlan Vos

Barris Offee

Neeja Halcyon

Pong Krell and Sora Bulq (the two former Jedi meeting their ends when the respective shuttles they were on had exploded as each one was leaving Coruscant unknowingly at the hands of HK-47)

At the same time, Anakin Skywalker was becoming quite popular among the younger, and more impressionable Jedi learning at the temple. His exploits with Qui-gon Jinn had made for some Jedi Padawans among the Order to emulate him or his Jedi Master. It had been upsetting to Obi-wan to see such a thing happen. Even more so when Master Yoda and some of the other Jedi Council members doing nothing to stop it. Granted, the two Jedi had achieved the most victories over the Separatists, but Obi-wan felt it was not right for such impressionable future Jedi to think they should follow their way of thinking.

Anakin had been recently aiding the Republic on the planet Jabim with Qui-gon. Reports were sketchy at the time, but it seemed that even the Separatists cared little for the leader of the Jabim Nationalists, Alto Stratus. The man's hatred for Jedi was vocal, practically yelling at the top of his lungs. He had denounced the Republic, the Jedi, and ultimately demanded anyone from that side suffer painful agonizing, even slow torturous deaths. A man consumed by his hatred and drowning in the madness of his own pain for what his people went through while pinning the blame on others who had nothing to do with it.

Hence why there was a report/rumor of the crazed man being shot in the back of the head by HK-47 itself before he was able to successfully kill Jedi Master Norcuna.

When a barely conscious Jedi Master Norcuna asked the droid why it killed the man, but spared him instead when it was walking away, HK just stopped to look at the man for a moment before continued walking through the rain. All without saying a word. Which was something that terrified the Jedi Master since he couldn't fathom the reason behind it.

At the same time, former Jedi Knight (in the eyes of the Jedi Order) Ky Narec was there with his former apprentice Asajj Ventress with the fleet of ships coming to provide more support for the Confederacy. From what Obi-wan had glimpse of the report, the Republic had lost the planet to them with the populace quite happy about it. Though they loathed the idea of Jedi being on the other side, it was clear that the Confederacy were willing to provide them with support one way or another. All the people of Jabim had to do was tolerate the Confederacy's Jedi while the two were there. As for the defeated Republic forces, they were allowed to retreat with what wounded, and survivors they had left.

Further showing the Confederacy was not filled with the monsters the Republic claimed they held within their ranks.

Obi-wan felt this was all done by Vader to turn the Galaxy not only against the Jedi, but the Republic as a whole. To attack the Republic on multiple fronts from within and from without to the point where the galactic government ultimately collapsed.

"Be mindful of your feelings Obi-wan. They can betray you," warned Plo Koon while his fellow Jedi Master frowned slightly.

"My feelings are my own Master Koon. If I feel anything right now, it is a need to fight the Sith Lord in front us, and ultimately bring him to justice," said Obi-wan while their fleet began the attack.

"Let us hope your need doesn't blind you to the real goal of this campaign," said Master Plo Koon, who was having secret reservations about this mission.

While he agreed it had to be done, the Jedi Master felt Obi-wan Kenobi was not the right Jedi Master to assist with the campaign. The man was still too young despite being a well experienced Jedi Master in his own right. However, Master Koon felt there was a small, yet noticeable grudge Kenobi held against the Sith Lord. As such, the Kel Dor Jedi had actually suggested a more experienced Lightsaber duelist confront Vader. While various Masters like Mace Windu, Eeth Koth, or Kit Fisto were nominated, ultimately Obi-wan Kenobi was still chosen with his insistence he could handle the campaign.

"It won't," said Obi-wan while both men headed for their fighters.

Plo Koon would handle the space battle while Obi-wan would lead the ground forces.

(Murkhana-Sometime Later)

Blaster fire and explosions rocked the planet as droids fought against clones with neither side giving ground. AT-TEs were blasting Spider droid tanks. Rockets fired from several B2 super battle droid damaged the legs of said AT-TE and caused it to sway off balance before hitting the nearest AT-TE to its right. The end result was knocking the second AT-TE with enough for it to land on its side. With the underbelly exposed, artillery fired at it, and caused both vehicles to explode.

"HK, move discreetly around to the side of the enemies position. Infiltrate from behind if necessary. Blow up all of their supplies and weapons," ordered Vader while HK nodded before activating his new cloaking system he obtained through the black market where they just so happened to have personal cloaking devices dated back to his old time.

A few modifications to make it compatible with more modernized systems and HK was good to go for sneaking into places to cause all sorts of chaos for the enemy.

"Giddy Statement: Oh Master, I do enjoy the tasks I am given by you. Rest assured, the meat bags on the other side will soon die painful deaths. My only regret is most of them will never know it was by these life crushing hands," remarked HK-47 before he was gone from the Sith Lord's sight.

"We have just received a report of Obi-wan Kenobi on a speeder bike with three squads moving due West in an attempt to strike at our blind spot," said the Tactical Commander Droid while Vader smirked.

"Ah yes. Our _supposed_ blind spot. Alert the snipers in that area. Kill all of the clones, but disable Kenobi's ride with a clean shot. With him on foot, I can deal with him myself," said Vader before he left the room to prepare for his fight with his former (in another life) Master.

(Jedi Temple-At the Moment)

"This is worse than we first thought," said Mace Windu while he, Eeth Koth, and Yoda were looking over various records regarding past Jedi assignments going back as fifty years.

And the results were not promising.

"How could we have missed this? Not only have the Consular Class Jedi been unusually high, but they have been dealing with assignments not meant for them from the start. I saw at least _two hundred_ of them meant for Guardians and should have been assigned by Guardians. Instead, I'm seeing Consular Class Jedi assigning missions to Guardians or young Jedi with the potential to become Guardians, and with none of the preparations one requires for them," said Eeth Koth seeing some of the asexual or less emotional Jedi Consular Jedi Masters assigning certain deep cover assignments regarding infiltration of a gang or criminal organization.

While the infiltration assignments themselves didn't bother the Zabrak per se, it was the fact those who generally assigned them in terms of doing the work that was put into question. After carefully reviewing those questionable infiltration assignments, Eeth saw the Jedi Consular assigning these missions felt they could only be done successfully with maximum efficiency by female Jedi.

And adding how they had to make it happen was another disturbing trend. It seemed the female Jedi had to pose as slaves. Prisoners of gangs and criminal organizations willing to sell the female slaves on the black market knowing they would fetch a fine price. The more "exotic" they looked, the more credits were possible to obtain, and the more profit these criminal organizations made. All of them drugged or sedated to keep them any of the slaves from being unruly when it was time to auction them off.

While most of these assignments had fortunately (thank the Force) gone off without any real incident, the Jedi Masters in the room saw there was quite a percentage where they did not go well. Female Jedi had shock and slave collars on them when "detained" by the organization with some being tortured for fun by the criminals. Others never made it to the slave auctions as the slave traders felt some of their product was too valuable to sell and "sampled" some of the woman they had in stock.

And when the assignments were over, regardless of the outcome, the Jedi Consular who handed them off simply marked them either a success or failure. No thought to how the female Jedi in question should see a mind healer or some other form of therapy to cope with what they went through or experienced.

In short, the Jedi Consulars were not qualified to hand out these assignments, much less deal with the aftermath of them. Their own line of thought in terms of how their species would think and their version of Jedi principles did not make them qualified.

So how did this happen?

"Even with our increase in Guardians prior to the Clone Wars, its not enough to help us fight against the Separatists. Some of the Jedi Consulars feel nothing for the loss of our brothers and sisters who fell to the enemy. Some have been outspoken in fighting in the war and refuse to help in anyway," said Eeth Koth, who doesn't understand why some of his fellow Jedi seemed so...detached, and acting like it didn't matter if they fought or not.

It was like lives as whole in this world didn't matter. Regardless if someone transformed into the Force or not. It was as if these particular Jedi didn't care about anything except what they could feel through the Force and everything else was insignificant. While Eeth believed in a better understanding of the Force, he also believed in enjoying life around you in the now too. Nothing outrageous mind you, but there was nothing wrong to go out to see a sport, or having a favorite drink with a friend from time to time.

But these Jedi who took up the majority of the Consular Class greatly disturbed him in a way he didn't think possible. Some even called for the Jedi as a whole to not participate in the war. Just let events play out was their reasoning and let the Jedi Order stand tall where all other things faded into dust. Weather the storm of war. No matter the outcome, the Jedi Order would not perish in the end. That had been their reasoning and it disturbed the Zabrak greatly to think such Jedi existed within the Order without him seeing it until now.

Was he that blind before today?

Even worse (if that were possible), Master Yoda himself had not seen it until recently when Eeth had brought this to his attention. Mace Windu had been brought into it too after his mission on Dantooine had been victorious, if just barely.

"I'm afraid its even worse. I pulled this from our Temple's communication logs," said Mace while Eeth and Master Yoda both frowned in shock and horror.

"This is a distress call from Jabim! It was made by Knight Skywalker nearly a week ago. He requested reinforcements to battle the Separatists and Jabim Nationalists who were slowly overpowering the Republic troops he and the other Jedi had under their command. And yet, no attempt was made to alert the Supreme Chancellor or even other members of the Jedi Council about this," remarked Eeth worriedly since such damaging new would hurt the reputation of the Jedi even more.

To not inform the Supreme Chancellor was one thing, but to let your fellow Jedi along with their troops die without sending aid was practically criminal! It didn't matter if the troops were clones. The clones themselves were still people despite what a few Jedi in the Order thought or felt on the issue. Life was life. You didn't shun it or ignore it simply for how it was brought into the world. You had to understand it. Observe it. Study it. But to also treat such life with respect all the same.

"Who was the Jedi monitoring communications on that day?" asked Eeth curiously.

"It doesn't say. The names for that day were blanked out. All of them. Either one of the Jedi assigned to the communication terminal did it or this was done by someone else in Jedi Order working with him or her. Someone who wanted Skywalker dead. Someone or possible a group of Jedi who fear the prophecy," answered Mace while sighing since he didn't think the fracture within the Jedi Order was this deep.

"Informed of this, Skywalker must not be told. Feel betrayed, he will. Lose his faith and loyalty to the Jedi Order, will happen," commented Yoda while wondering who else in the Jedi Temple knew about this aside from themselves.

"Skywalker's faith in the Order isn't considered to be strong either. With the way some of the Masters acted toward him during his time growing up here was not entirely pleasant. Sometimes I think he stays only due to Master Qui-gon, but we know the man won't live forever. Sadly, his age is catching up to him now despite the Force picking up the slack in some areas. However, if this war does go on for another couple more of years, I fear we may have to take him off the front lines," commented Mace while having seen some of it himself and felt a form of conflict about it.

While Jedi Masters who taught younglings and Padawans were meant to be strict to some degree, it was on another level with Skywalker. They did everything in their rank and their power to keep the boy from exploring the depths of his power. Not simply to keep him humble, but because the Jedi in question truly feared his power. His potential. The boy excelled when it came to using the Force, wielding a Lightsaber, or doing anything Jedi related once he put his mind to it.

And yet several Jedi Masters, mostly those of Consular Class, tried to keep the boy from reaching it one way or another. While Mace was all for control and humility, even he had to admit the Jedi who were harsh to Anakin went too far with their actions.

"It won't be easy. Anakin and Qui-gon might investigate this on their own. Or demand to know why reinforcements weren't sent to Jabim. We can't hide this from them Master Yoda. This is too big. Even for us. And if we hide it from them, the backlash will only make things worse," said Mace while sighing since burying the truth only makes it worse when the truth is unburied later on.

"I agree with Master Windu on this. Anakin had been able to win the vast majority of his battles against the Separatists. If we lose him for whatever reason, the war will look even more bleaker for us. Not to mention the public will hate us even further if this gets out," said Eeth Koth while Master Yoda looked hesitant to agree, but in the end had decided they were right.

At the very least, being honest with the young Jedi along with his Master about this kind of situation would dull the blow of betrayal they were sure the two would feel from this.

"Talk with Qui-gon and Skywalker about this, I will," said Yoda since he was the only Jedi at this point that Qui-gon respected and would listen to right now.

The same being for Anakin, but only due to his former Master trusting the elderly Jedi Grandmaster when it came to making the right decisions. There were times when Yoda would have some arguments with Anakin. Nothing to loud or heated, but they were times when Yoda could honestly say he never recalled a time in his many long years of being alive that someone challenged him as Anakin did on various issues. Even Dooku, who was his last true student, had been inclined to listen to his advice, and obey when Yoda gave an order.

But Anakin was different. He saw the world not through the eyes of someone who grew up in the Jedi Temple. No. Anakin had seen a darker aspect of the Galaxy. One where hate, fear, oppression, and other dark things thrived. As such, his point of view was very different to that of a youngling turned Padawan turned Jedi Knight who was raised in the safety of the Jedi Temple. Anakin had lived in the "real Galaxy" and saw the bitter truth some Jedi Masters and teachers hid from their students for as long as possible. The truth being that the Galaxy had many dark places in it. Places where light did not shine. Could not shine. And in some cases...would not shine.

Yoda knew the boy wanted to fight all forms of evil. Fix every problem. End every single conflict. Both inside and outside of the Republic. To go beyond the limitations set for the Jedi Order in terms of only doing more than simply solving the problems within the one Galactic government. Not when there was so much injustice in the world. How could the Jedi Order be a symbol of light when it couldn't even reach beyond the Republic's own borders?

Anakin had always been like that growing up in the Jedi Temple. His desire, his Will, and overall belief in ridding the Galaxy of evil had been refreshing in some cases. Annoying in others. But the principle behind it was nonetheless there and it reminded Yoda that the Jedi Order did not answer just to the Republic despite what _some_ Senators thought. But to the Galaxy as a whole. To the Force that empowered them. The Jedi Order had been so confident in the Sith being defeated 1,000 years ago that they never thought to be extra thorough to be sure. Didn't try to expand their knowledge of the Force and keep their up the strength needed should the darkness they assumed was defeated forever was truly gone.

And look what happened. They were ignorant for a 1,000 years. They were arrogant in the belief no one could challenge the Jedi Order. They had been filled pride for over a 1,000 years in the belief they vanquished the Sith that it had come back in the form of the Sith returning in the form of two. Two Sith. One hiding. One revealed. Yet both were at war with each other. Whether it was due to following different Sith Sects. or because it was simply in their nature to hate one another was anyone's guess.

What Yoda did know what the Jedi Order was caught in the middle of this tug of war struggle between them and it didn't help they were the rope those two were tugging on with the fate of the Galaxy hanging in the balance.

And it also didn't help that the rope was showing signs of coming undone due to the various fractures the Order itself was currently going through.

(Murkhana-With Obi-wan Kenobi)

Jedi General Obi-wan Kenobi was not having a good day. His ground forces made up of clones using Jango Fett's genetic template were on the surface of the planet, fighting and dying against wave after wave of battle droids. While going with a sizable strike force on his speeder bikes to attack the blind spot in Vader's flank, the clone commander he left in charge reported several of the supply depots holding food, medical supplies, and weapons had been destroyed. Guards had been killed silently, most likely by the saboteur, and the communication array to call for resupplies and reinforcements was destroyed too.

And it only got worse after Obi-wan realized too little too late that the blind spot behind Vader's flank wasn't really a blind spot at all. It was a fake. A farce. And above all else...a trap. One he walked right into with his squad, which had paid the price for it with sniper fire from battle droids designed to use them with pinpoint accuracy.

The only reason Obi-wan wasn't dead right now was due to the Force saving him at the last moment and he only landed in a tumbling roll onto the harsh ground. Fortunately, the clone trooper armor he wore helped cushion the fall...if only slightly. His speeder bike, like the rest of his unit, was destroyed. Bodies and destroyed speeder bikes were on the ground completely lifeless, scattered everywhere.

'Mental note, make request to the Republic's Military R&D dept. to make a much softer insulation pad for clone trooper armor to buffer intense falls or crash landings,' thought a now in pain Obi-wan Kenobi struggling to get up.

Only to freeze when the dark presence of Darth Vader was felt through the Force.

"It has been some time Kenobi," said the voice of one Darth Vader while the Sith Lord was walking casually through the wreckage of the Jedi's destroyed attack squadron.

"Vader!" spat Obi-wan with anger in his voice.

"Is that anger I hear in your voice Kenobi? Not very Jedi like of you," commented Vader before he was barely 15 feet away from the Jedi.

"Interesting you would lecture me about being a Jedi. Coming from a Sith Lord, I should feel insulted," said Obi-wan before standing up fully and ignited his Lightsaber.

While Sith Lord stood there staring back at him. Not even drawing his Lightsaber. It was puzzling and for some reason Obi-wan felt the Sith Lord was probing his very being

"His _taint_ is on you. As I thought it would. Clearly the man is even more desperate for an apprentice than I thought," whispered Vader with narrowed eyes.

"Taint? What are you talking about?" asked Obi-wan while getting ready for a fight with Vader.

"And what is even _more_ pathetic about this situation, is you don't even realize it. The Jedi Order has truly become blind in almost all things related to the Force," said Vader before he finally brought out his Lightsaber and activating it.

"Speak plainly Vader or prepare to meet your end," said Obi-wan while feeling a sense of unease rise in him despite his attempts to stomp it down.

"You have eyes, yet do not see. You have ears, yet you do not hear. You can hands, yet you cannot touch. You could feel, yet numb your very being to prevent the sensation of feeling. The Jedi Order is truly a shadow of its former self. The Sith of Old are laughing at you from the beyond," said Vader mockingly knowing it would upset the Jedi in front of him.

If there was one thing some Jedi has similar to the Sith, it was pride. Pride in their skills. Pride in their connection to the Force. Pride in their Order. It was only fair that said pride be attacked. Ruthlessly. Painfully. Cast down their pride. Cast down their confidence. Cast down their strength. Destroy their very foundation...and you have won.

Whether it was a single Jedi Master or the entire Jedi Order itself, it didn't matter.

The fall of one's pride always came before the actual fall.

And it was now time for Obi-wan to fall.

"I should have killed you on Naboo all those years ago. I should have rallied the other Jedi when the people were celebrating and attacked with everything we had," said Obi-wan while Vader almost looked amused by his words.

Almost.

"You could have tried Jedi. But we both know it would have failed. The Jedi Order is no longer considered the symbol of peace and justice it once was in ancient history. Many have long since found your Order to be weak, decadent, and dying a slow death while it slowly drowns under the sands of time," said Vader before he casually blocked Obi-wan's sudden rush and slash maneuver before knocking the man back with ease.

"Says the Sith Lord belonging to an Order that turns the act of committing genocide into a sport!" exclaimed Obi-wan before he was met by Vader's own aggressive fighting style that pushed the Jedi Master back on the defensive.

"And the Jedi don't? Need I remind you what happened on Mandalore? How all those years ago, the Republic's Excision campaign against them left the entire system in ruin? Now the various planets around Mandalore are filled with crime, corruption, outlaws, pirates, and criminal organizations which came to fill the power vacuum left behind by your actions. Your brothers and sisters of the Jedi Order slaughtered Mandalorians on those worlds with the Republic Fleet sent to break them. And for what? Because they showed signs of regaining their former strength? At least with the Sith Order, we make such genocide quick and to the point. But Jedi? You make it so they die a slow agonizing death while watching, _and waiting_ for them to die. So tell me in all honesty, all wise, all seeing Master Kenobi...who between our two Orders truly makes the act of genocide a sport?" challenged Vader viciously before he elbowed Kenobi in the face after pushing the man's Lightsaber down toward the ground with his own.

"The Jedi bring peace to planets filled with pain and suffering. The Sith feed off it like a cancer!" Obi-wan shot back while trying to put Vader on the defensive, but soon found the Sith Lord's defense were impervious to his offensive attacks.

"To Republic planets. To Republic worlds. To Republic cities. But what about the Outer Rim worlds? What about those in the Mid-Rim not part of the Republic? What about the worlds filled with slavery? What about the worlds controlled by the Hutts? What makes the Republic worlds so valuable that you would protect them, but leave alone the worlds where the people need you most?" challenged Vader while Obi-wan tried to keep his anger under control at the Sith Lord's words despite truth behind them.

In truth, the Jedi Order should be able to go to those worlds in the Mid, and Outer Rim in need of their aid. They should be able to go to the worlds controlled by the Hutts and put down the slavery and oppression they were known to embrace due to the profit behind it. Alas, it was not possible. One thousand ago with the Army of Light the Jedi Order had following the last Jedi/Sith War, it would have been possible. But the Jedi Order felt it was best to disband the Army of Light, to contract, and to regroup to a single center at the heart of the Galaxy. To go from fierce warriors and feared enemies of all things lurking within the darkness of space to mere peacekeepers, who acted as the "mindless thugs of the Senate", or "Chancellor Palpatine's personal police force".

Some Jedi had wondered if what happened to them over the last 1,000 years was the wrong choice in both the disbandment of the Army of Light and their decision to seek to expand their knowledge of the Force. Some felt it didn't make sense to do the latter in terms of contracting themselves in pursuit of future knowledge. Without the Sith around to cause chaos in the Galaxy, the Jedi Order could have spent their time learning knew things, and expanding what they already obtained to new levels.

Those Jedi who questioned it were all sent on long term missions away from the Jedi Temple or had simply...vanished! No one knew what happened to them, as no one had really bothered to question it.

But Vader did. Hence why a certain _prison_ meant to hold rogue Jedi, which was built quite a few centuries ago had been raided by the Sith Lord. He was surprised by just how many Jedi were locked away here. In the first time frame when he was still Jedi General Anakin Skywalker, the prison held very few Jedi in their cells. Vader could only guess that the Jedi here when the Separatists took it over in his first time line had been killed due to being useless to their sadistic warden. Already too far gone and too broken prior to his machination to be any real sport or challenge to him. Plus, the Jedi in this prison were all locked up in here for quite some time so knowledge of the outside world was outdated at best.

But Vader came along and set them free. Many with stories to tell of how they ended up in the prison designed to hold "rogue Jedi". Missions that went bad. Surprise attacks in the middle of the night. Being knocked out from behind. Stun blasts at close range from a blind spot. But the end result was always the same. Betrayal. Betrayal by their fellow Jedi brothers and sisters. And all for questioning the status quo. All because they sensed there was more to the Jedi way and wishing to expand when those who opposed it preferred to contract.

The computer logs within the prison's system only validated their stories further.

When offered a safe haven to relearn and grow stronger again, the now former Jedi of the Order freed by Vader took it without question. Even now, they were relearning how to be Jedi again with Dooku himself being their teacher when the man wasn't running the day to day operations of the Confederacy. When the man had heard what the Jedi had done to its own people for years, it had shocked the Count greatly. He wondered if his old Master knew of this prison? And, if Yoda did in fact know of it (which Dooku suspected he did given his title of Grandmaster)...did the old Jedi know it was holding other Jedi? Did he know they were locked away because they simply wished things to change within the Jedi Order?

Vader knew the Count would wish to have words with Yoda later on during the war as things progressed and the Sith Lord was going to ensure they did have a nice long talk.

But for now, the Sith Lord was dealing with a short tempered, and quite desperate Jedi Master trying to fight for survival.

A fight the Jedi was losing.

Whatever skills Obi-wan had learned since his first fight with Vader, it was not enough to best the Sith Lord in battle. The man trained and it showed on many levels. But Vader had been eating, sleeping, and breathing war in more way than one. With experience now literally covering two lives, the Sith Lord was many years beyond Kenobi, and any level of training the man performed on a semi daily basis.

It also didn't help that Qui-gon's new star pupil Anakin Skywalker was accelerating in the field of combat during the Clone Wars. Thanks to Vader manipulating the war instead of Sidious, planets which were attacked many months, if not years into the war the first time around were fought during different times. Sidious had easily controlled the Clone Wars on the Republic side of things while Dooku controlled the CIS through his position and making major moves with Sidious's secret approval the first time around. With both Sith Lords plotting the overall war together, they controlled which pieces on the board went where and what was the best outcome of each battle. All without anyone seeing or even knowing the cold bitter truth until Sidious's enemies realized it too little too late.

But Sidious wasn't in control. At least, not the Confederacy's side of things. For his plots and schemes, the older Sith was not a true strategist without the Force as his ally. And right now, the Force was not Sidious's ally. As a result, Vader was throwing the entire plan Sidious had for the Clone Wars right out the window, right out into space, and right into a black hole. Not to mention Vader's own history of the Clone Wars when fighting in it from the previous timeline as Anakin Skywalker allowed him to make his own moves before Sidious could stop the rival Sith Lord.

And because of those machinations and throwing Sidious's own plans out the window, Anakin Skywalker had become a much better Jedi for it. Qui-gon had been just the Jedi Master the boy needed growing up to guide him despite many Jedi Masters frowning at how things were going with his potential thriving.

By the end of the Clone Wars, Vader would see to it the boy turned man, and Jedi Knight was ready to fulfill his destiny. And this time around, neither the Jedi Order nor Sidious would stand in their way of seeing it come out correctly.

"And what about this war you started? How many lives have been lost because of your Order's machinations in the Galaxy?" challenged Obi-wan before he had his Lightsaber knocked away to the side, barely able to hold onto it, and kicked hard right in the chest.

"Enough! You are beaten. It is useless to resist. Do not let your pride as a Jedi destroy you as so many other Jedi did when facing me," said Vader since he had slain quite a few Jedi in battle while sparing others he knew the Force wanted alive for the future.

Most of the Jedi he fought were of the Consular Class Jedi. They had been so arrogant in their beliefs of being superior. Seeing into the Force where others could not. Believing that fighting on the front lines or the war itself was barbaric and sent the clones to do the fighting for them. All the while they sat back safely at the command post surrounded by multiple defense and "guiding" the clone troopers through strategy.

But Vader had bested them all. He tore through their strategies. Torn down their _superior_ defenses. Their clones troopers. Their ability to use the Force. Lightsaber fighting, which any low level Padawan or skilled Jedi Knight could best. Sad really. Grievous had hoped to fight skilled Jedi warriors on the battlefield when the war started and was disappointed for the most part. A few had proven their worth. All Guardian Class. They all fought like true warriors against him, something the Kaleesh respected. Which was why he kept the Lightsabers of those he killed as mementos to remind himself of them.

Not out of hatred or dislike for the Jedi he killed, but out of respect for them as warriors.

The Jedi he fought that displeased him however...they did not meet their end well. They were the real scum of the Galaxy. The kind that looked at warriors like him and Vader himself with contempt in their eyes. Those Jedi called them barbarians. Brutes. Lovers of violence. Rabid animals who should be chained, imprisoned, or possibly killed. What did they know? Who were they to judge? They stood in their tall tower, staring down at the people, always judging, and always acting like their way was the right way. Such pride filled arrogance. Vader, Grievous, HK-47, and others like them had taken great pleasure in destroying those arrogant Jedi and those like them in this war.

Like Vader was doing now with Kenobi. The Jedi Master was fighting back with his own Lightsaber desperately like a wounded animal trying to fend off a clearly superior animal for a predator. It didn't help the man was on the ground, on his back, crawling away from Vader with one elbow and leg, and the other arm wielding his Lightsaber trying to slice into the Sith Lord while attempting to not accidently slice his own limbs off.

"Such a pathetic Jedi you have become since our last encounter Kenobi. How you ever attained the title of Jedi Master is beyond even my understanding. You are no Master. You are not even worthy of being a Knight. Even the title of Padawan would be tainted if you were placed once again in that position," mocked Vader while occasionally blocking the Lightsaber swing made by Kenobi.

"I will not yield. I will fight to the bitter end. For I am a Jedi!" stated Obi-wan while his bruised and bloody body ached from the hits Vader had delivered to him.

"Such bravado. Such defiance. If you weren't so weak, I might have believed you. But we both know you are far from being a true Jedi. You are an embarrassment to the Jedi Order of Old. Add to the fact _HE_ has latched himself onto you makes it all the more imperative your life end here," said Vader before he finally had enough of Kenobi's random attempts to hit him and used the Force to yank the Jedi's Lightsaber out of his hands.

Funny how things played out. All they needed was a river of lava, poisonous ash, and one of them losing three out of four limbs to recreate their battle on Mustafar. Maybe one of them catching on fire and burning to near death too. Alas, they did not have time for role reversals in recreations of another lifetime.

They were enemies on opposing sides of a war after all.

"It doesn't matter how many Jedi you strike down Vader. Sooner or later, we will end the Separatists, and your rule over it. My only regret is making sure your secret control was a short one," said Obi-wan with Vader narrowing his eyes on him.

"Contrary to your own naive beliefs, Count Dooku is not the puppet you think he is when it comes to running the Confederacy. He has seen the corruption in the Republic for what it truly is and has decided to do something about it," said Vader while Obi-wan grit his teeth.

"Through your manipulations!" countered Obi-wan while Vader did not look amused by it.

"Hardly. While it is true I met with Dooku to form a second Galactic government free from corruption, he only agreed after I revealed certain truths to him," said Vader, as he saw no reason to deny partnering up with Dooku to form the Confederacy.

"What truths?" asked Obi-wan in the hopes of getting Vader to reveal more of his plans and find a way to escape to report it to the Jedi Council.

"Truths you could not begin to comprehend. And given _his_ presence is on you like a foul stench, its all the more reason to end you," said Vader with Obi-wan gritting his teeth.

"You mentioned that earlier. You said there was some kind of stain or taint was on me. Who are you talking about?" demanded Obi-wan while Vader almost seemed amused at this point.

"Why, the Sith Lord in hiding of course. Judging from the level of the dark stench I smell on you, he has been in your presence for quite a while. Not that surprising really," replied Vader while Obi-wan was shocked to hear this.

'I was in the presence of the hidden Sith and I didn't even know it! But...who was it? I have been around countless beings of all shapes and sizes. Who could the Sith Lord be in the public eye?' thought Obi-wan in horror knowing that he had been near, perhaps even _talking_ with the Sith Lord at certain points in time without even realizing it.

"Do not look too surprised or even hurt by this news Jedi. The Sith have long since be able to master the art of hiding in plain sight for nearly 1,000 years. Chances are, you along with other Jedi in your Order have met other Sith Lords in passing without even realizing it," said Vader while enjoying the look of shock and horror running across Kenobi's face.

"I don't believe you," said Obi-wan weakly.

"And that Jedi, is why your Order fails. Why your Order will fall...unless your Chosen One is allowed to bring about change to it. Sadly, you will not live to see such a change," said Vader before slicing Obi-wan's head clean off.

 _Why do I get the feeling you are going to be the death of me?_

Vader smirked at the memory from his previous life. Despite the fact Kenobi had been right, it did little to numb the satisfaction he felt over getting his revenge twice over. The now dead Jedi Master had the nerve to not only leave him to burn to death on Mustafar, but had tried to use his son as a weapon against him too. Kenobi didn't even tell his son about his Mother. Of all things to deny the boy, it was the memory, or knowledge of his Mother! And to add additional injury, he conspired with Bail Organa, and Master Yoda to use his daughter against him too. Again, another child led by the nose by people _claiming_ to love them to use against the Sith Lord without telling her the truth. Neither of him or Padme. As if she was someone they could write off as insignificant and bury truth about her like it was something horrible that shouldn't see the light of day.

Vader was going to enjoy the day when Bail Organa died. Master Yoda too. Those fools would not live to see the new future. They would die with the past. They would die with the stagnation. They would die with the old guard while the new one brought about the desired change the Galaxy needed to protect the future darkness that was to come.

But first, he had to finish off the remains of Obi-wan's army.

(Space-Above Murkhana)

Jedi Master Plo Koon sensed through the Force that Obi-wan Kenobi had fallen in battle. Due to the presence of Vader on the planet, it was safe to assume the Sith Lord had been the one responsible for it. From his Jedi star fighter, he ordered the retreat of his forces before more losses could be tallied against them. The defenses of the Separatists were just too strong and it was clear they were well prepared for an attack.

Add that Vader was defending from the ground and former Jedi Master Sifo-Dias was also fighting for the Separatists didn't help either. Master Dias proved to be a formidable tactician and fighter pilot when combating Republic forces. Whether it was against clones or even other Jedi, he could seemingly out fly them all. Just like he was doing today.

 _"Master Plo Koon, I was hoping to speak to you before your forces retreated,"_ said Sifo-Dias over the communication line.

"I'd rather not. I have nothing to say to a former Jedi. Or should I perhaps consider you a Dark Jedi? A Sith Lord like Vader?" demanded Plo Koon while Sifo sighed.

 _"There is so much about this you do not know about. I learned things that made my faith in the Jedi Order become called into question. I saw things that made me question what it meant to be a Jedi and what the Order had become in the last 1,000 years since the start of the Ruusan Formation,"_ said Sifo-Dias while Jedi Master Plo Koon frowned.

"And I assume the Sith Lord showed you these supposed things?" questioned Plo Koon with another sigh coming from the former Jedi.

 _"Partially. But not in the way you're thinking! Listen, this war is horrible. Neither one of us will deny it. However, I did warn the Jedi Council of the darkness that was coming. I was ignored and I was forced to commission an army of the Republic behind the Jedi Council's back in order us to lead them. But after I was approached by Darth Vader, I was told some horrible truths. Not just about the Republic, but the Jedi Order. At first, I was in denial of the truth. But later on...I saw the truth staring me in the face. I could no deny what I was told, what I felt, and what I saw,"_ said Sifo-Dias with sadness in his voice that made Plo Koon frown further.

"Can you share some of this information with me? Perhaps, I can bring such information back to the Jedi Order so we can fix things on our end. If the things you tell me turn out as you claim, returning to the Jedi Order would be an option old friend," offered Plo Koon in the hope of turning the former Jedi against the Sith Lord as a possible spy for the Republic.

 _"That's not possible. I am well aware of the Jedi Order's fracturing and is only holding together because of the war. If some of what I reveal to you was reveal to the Jedi Order, if not the Galaxy, I believe it would ultimately bring it down to further ruin. All you need to know right now, is my decision to fight for the Confederacy is so there is a Jedi Order left after this war is over,"_ said Sifo-Dias while Plo Koon frowned.

"You make it sound as if the Jedi Order will fall by the end of the war," remarked Plo Koon in confusion.

And was met with a period of silence.

 _"If you are not careful my old friend, it will fall. One word of warning before you depart for Coruscant, do not trust the Chancellor's growing Inner Circle. None of them are safe and none of them can be trusted with information,"_ said Sifo-Dias before the Comm. had gone silent.

'None of them are safe and cannot be trusted? Does that mean one of them is the hidden Sith? Or knows where the hidden Sith is located?' thought Plo Koon before he entered Hyperspace with the remains of his fleet and hoped the forces on the ground would be spared to become prisoners they could somehow make an exchange to get back.

(Murkhana-On the ground-Sometime Later)

The final clone trooper fell down onto his back, dead, by Vader's Lightsaber. His helmet falling off his head, rolling around in a semi circle until it stopped right at the Sith Lord's feet. Looking down, Vader stared at the helmet before looking at the face of the clone he just killed. They had fought bravely, attacking with everything they had from blasters to rockets, and the heavy artillery they had on hand. But alas, they were no match for HK-47's invisible attacks. Nor could they stop Vader from overpowering all of them using the Force to send them flying in all directions when he wasn't cutting their bodies down.

In the end, none of the clones stood a chance against him or the Dark Side of the Force.

He thought of Rex, Cody, and the other members of the 501st that would one day be part of something grand. Vader always liked the 501st. They were the best. When the first Death Star was destroyed, a large portion of them were unfortunately lost when the battle station exploded, and the Emperor had already stopped making new clones using Jango Fett's template. Vader did of course. Just because the Emperor was afraid of relying on them too much didn't mean Vader would in his place. These clones had Mandalorians blood in their veins. Warrior blood. They were meant for fighting. It was what they were created for. Trained for. Sent into battles and wars for. Anything and everything that the Empire produced outside of these soldiers were a _fraction_ of what they could do during a fight.

And yet the ones fresh out of the tank since before the war started were basically pawns in a game to be sacrificed with those that survived learning how to think. Such a crude way of doing things, but effective when it came to war, and combat when the training was already programmed into clones.

Trial by fire seemed the best way to bring about their true potential. Even more so since these clones were of Mandalorians blood.

"Query: What are your orders Master?" asked HK-47 after walking up to Vader just in time to see the Sith Lord step on the clone trooper helmet before pushing down with enough force to crush it.

"Prepare my ship. I have to go seek out a long term investment. In addition, have Sifo-Dias arrange for a new broadcast for Shadowfeed. The Galaxy will once more hear of our victory over the Republic this day and the fall of one of their Jedi Masters. See to it this is sent back to the Jedi Temple using our usual courier contacts. I want the Jedi to see they have lost yet another blind fool to their already badly fractured Order," said Vader before handing over Kenobi's Lightsaber to the droid.

"Mournful Statement: It is a shame you won't let me collect Lightsaber trophies Master. I can only imagine that my collection would rival, if not surpass that of General Grievous, and General Calamitous put together. Not to mention the kill count," said HK-47 while Vader glanced at him.

"Those two take trophies of the warriors they killed because those were warriors deemed worthy of being called as such. You would just take trophies simply because they were there," said Vader while HK-47's eyes glowed for a second.

"Quick Unrepentant Answer: True!" said HK47 before he walked away to carry out his orders and tossing the dead Jedi's weapon around in the air.

Vader only shook his head. That fiendish droid was indeed one worthy of a Sith Lord.

(A/N: YAY! Another chapter for all of you. Yes, Kenobi is dead. I'm sure many of you wished he wasn't, but that's just the way it is. Besides, do you expect Vader to be merciful to him if they fought each other during the war? I think not! Until next time...PEACE!)


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8-Pushing Buttons

The Clone Wars had been raging for a time. The Galaxy had been turned on its axis with the grand scale of the war being fought between two sides seeking to defeat the other. Each with their own armies, technology, and ideals on how things should be run in terms of a Galactic government.

One side was the Galactic Republic, which had stood proudly for well over one thousand years. And on the other side was their enemy, the Confederacy of Independent Systems (A.K.A. The Separatists).

And through it all, the two main players in it were warring Sith Lords. One seeking to turn the Republic into a Galactic Empire, which he could control all things in the entire Galaxy. The other, was one from the future, sent back in time by the Force to right a much needed wrong on all things.

Darth Sidious VS Darth Vader. The fate of the Sith and the Galaxy as a whole was now hanging in the balance.

And each had pawns or pieces that needed to be played.

Played and destroyed with just the right touch.

And they weren't the only ones either.

(Jedi Temple-At the Moment)

"I can't believe this! They...Master Qui-gon...I...!" exclaimed Anakin in shock and some denial with his old Master nodding in agreement.

"I understand your feelings Anakin. I do. I never thought I would witness such a thing," said Qui-gon with a tired sigh and his age being felt through his very being.

"But why? Why betray us? Are we not on the same side? A same part of the Jedi Order? Aren't we suppose to be beyond such things?" asked Anakin while Qui-gon smiling at the young man before him.

"We are Anakin. Or rather, we should be, if not beyond such things," said Qui-gon before he glanced over at Master Yoda, who was also feeling old right now.

Master Windu seemed to age a few years too.

"We didn't take this news lightly and are conducting a discreet and quite investigation into this," said Master Windu while sensing the anger rolling off of Anakin like a storm.

"I have fought, bled, and nearly died for the Jedi Order. For the Republic. And what does one of them do? It tries to kill me! To kill Master Qui-gon! What kind of Order does that to its own members? I thought only the Sith did that kind of thing?" asked Anakin while Yoda let out a small noise in his throat.

"Conspiracy within the Jedi Order, there is. Trying to prevent change, these Jedi are. We need to be cautious in this, I sense. Patience you must have young Skywalker," said Yoda while Anakin fought to keep his anger under control.

Only a gentle hand from Qui-gon seemed to work.

"Master Yoda, its clear the Jedi Order is fracturing. Breaking apart from within. They fear the change caused by the prophecy. They seek to defy the Will of the Force. If our history with the Force has told us anything, it is defying its Will was never good anyone caught in its destructive path," warned Qui-gon with Yoda nodding his head since history had quite a few footnotes of the Force's Will being denied and the cosmic energy setting things in motion to retaliate.

And retaliate throughout history it certainly did.

"Fortunately, we suspect only the Consular Class within the Jedi Order being responsible for this since they have been the most resistant to implementing any kind of changes. The evidence collected so far shows they are the ones impeding everything from within our ranks. Though for what purpose remains unseen," said Mace since he never suspected the Jedi Order would have such a thing happen to it from within.

Without yes. Within no.

"Not to mention the story that went over the HoloNet just last week. The one where that prison for rogue Jedi had been attacked by the Separatists and well over a hundred Jedi thought dead were found alive. It has made public support for the Jedi Order sink to an all time low," said Anakin while infuriated that the Jedi Order did that and to those who did not deserve it in the first place.

It was an insult to him as a man, an insult to his honor, and his belief in loyalty should be returned when given.

"No knowledge of them, I did. Influence of this rogue section of the Jedi Consular Class, strong it is to hide things from me. Investigate further, we will," said Yoda firmly since he had been told those Jedi long thought dead had all died on various missions one way or another.

Only to find they were in fact alive in a prison designed to hold Jedi who had gone rogue from the Order and were a threat to the Galaxy. And under the Grandmaster's very own nose. Disturbing to say the least.

"What about the Separatists? We can't fight a war on two fronts," said Anakin since he felt the Jedi Order was splintering and being ripped apart from all sides.

"Face them on your side, you must. Face the internal problems, we will," said Yoda while Qui-gon nor Anakin looked convinced.

"Who else knows of this treachery?" asked Qui-gon while Mace looked at Master Yoda.

"Aside from the culprits and ourselves, a small handful of Jedi Masters we know can be trusted. If this spread throughout the rest of the Jedi Order, it would be fractured beyond repair," said Master Windu while Anakin still looked frustrated.

"Does anyone know of our return?" asked Qui-gon with Master Yoda shaking his head no.

"Your arrival, no one knows. Kept a secret per your request, we did," said Master Yoda while Qui-gon nodded.

"The ones influencing events to cause our near death will no doubt be surprised by our sudden return, much less our survival," said Qui-gon with Yoda and Windu nodding in agreement.

No doubt those surprised to see the two Jedi return to the Temple, much less alive would spark something in the Force for all of them to detect.

(Planet Serenno-Sometime Later)

"Your own personal construction project is moving along nicely. Though it should be expected with the vast amount of Construction Droids you asked the Techno Union to send over," said Dooku to Vader with the two once more sitting across from each other to convey reports on the progress of the war and other items of interest.

"Considering the project, it is to be expected. Besides, once what I have in mind is fully operational, the _true enemy_ will be overwhelmed by the sheer firepower coming down upon them," said Vader while Dooku nodded in agreement.

"You wish this particular ship being constructed to be the 'pointy tip of the sword' in your mission to crush them," Dooku surmised and saw Vader nodding.

"It seems appropriate when you look at the design," said Vader knowing such a project would be a massive undertaking.

Which is why Vader used Construction Droids to do the work. They were cheap and effective. Plus, he could program or alter their programming when necessary. Not only _that_ , but Vader could also use this make Sidious slip in the belief his rival was building his own Death Star first. With the number of Construction Droids ordered through the Techno Union, Sidious would draw that very conclusion, and try to take it to the Senate as Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. All the while using Republic Laws regarding safety and security to keep _how_ he learned of these things a secret from everyone. Including the Jedi Council. By the time the truth came out, Sidious as the Supreme Chancellor would look foolish, and paranoid.

By the time Vader was done, Sidious wouldn't have any political capital to work with in order to keep his position as Chancellor.

"And our new ally?" asked Dooku since he had not yet met the man Vader claimed was worth the entire _Katana_ Dreadnought Fleet.

"Getting settled on his new Capital Class ship _Chimera_. He was pleased by our generous gift given to his people to use and reported our real enemy sent out a scouting party just last month. Fortunately, the _Katana_ Dreadnought Fleet did as advertised, and brought the Chiss a solid victory over a hollow one. Without the aid we provided, our secret friends would have lost a great deal in the process," said Vader while Dooku was surprised to hear this.

"Major losses? All from a scouting party?" asked Dooku to further confirm that he heard Vader correctly.

"The scouting party consisted of a large fleet of organic ships. By our own standards, you would simply assume it was an invasion force. Not a scouting party. That being said, the Chiss Ascendency has concluded the main force is calculated to be massive on a Galactic scale by far. But due to it being so massive, it takes time to get here. And by time, I mean it will take many of our own Galactic standard years from now for their main military force to arrive in our Galaxy. Which gives us an advantage to get ready for them," said Vader with Dooku looking concerned about all of this given what the Sith Lord just told him.

"Provided this war can end before that happens and there is something left to build on to prepare for their arrival," commented Dooku since he knew both sides had hit each other pretty badly during their time fighting.

"If we do everything correctly in the end, it will," said Vader knowing things had to get worse before they changed for the better.

( _The Chimera_ -At the Moment)

Admiral Thrawn observed everything around him. His eyes calculating and sharp. When the Sith Lord came to his people to call in the debt the Chiss Ascendency had obtained following the generous donation of the _Katana_ Dreadnought Fleet, Thrawn had been a bit surprised. A rarity to be sure. The simple fact that Darth Vader wished for him to join the Confederacy to fight in the Clone Wars as the price for the warships had been confusing to say the least. For one, a single person was not worth an entire fleet of dreadnoughts with an army of battle droids to match. Second, the war the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the Galactic Republic was not something he felt that the Chiss Ascendency should get involved in.

And yet, Vader had been well aware of the _true_ threat to the Galaxy. Not the war between to factions within the Galaxy as a whole. That was just a means to an end on his part. No, the true war that was to coming from outside of their very Galaxy. Something that Vader wished to prevent from happening. Hence why he provided the dreadnoughts in the first place. By crushing the scouts in such a way, any remaining survivors would report back to the main fleet what happened. The end result would no doubt make the Far Outsiders delay their advances long enough for the Galaxy to prepare fully for the inevitable.

Hence why Vader wanted Thrawn to participate in the Clone Wars. By giving Thrawn experience in the Clone Wars, he could be more prepared to engage the Far Outsiders. It made sense since the more military experience Thrawn possessed, the more likely such experience could be used in the long run against the Galaxy's true enemy.

"Admiral, we have enemies approaching in Sector 8 at 8321.9," said a droid on the bridge watching for any enemy warships.

"Numbers?" asked Thrawn calmly.

"Roughly thirteen Capital Class ships and four corvettes. The Capital Class ships have begun launching fighters sir," said the droid.

"So the beast wishes to engage us immediately with its teeth and claws extended. An aggressive move. Name of the fleet's flagship?" questioned Thrawn since the main ship leading them would help the Chiss determine who was in command.

"Checking. The flagship is the _Endurance_. Usually commanded by Admiral Tosk," said the Commander Droid nearby.

Thrawn narrowed his eyes slightly. Since joining the Confederacy, Darth Vader and the former Jedi turned Head of State Count Dooku had provided the Chiss with the names of the various Admirals and Generals leading the Clone Armies of the Republic. For the most part, Jedi Generals led the fleets with the Admirals on the flagship being the SIC to take control after the Jedi Generals went into their star fighters to engage the enemy in space or ground combat.

But Admiral William Tosk was different. Born in the Core World, Corulag, to a wealthy family with history of military service. William Tosk went to the best military academy on Corulag, Galactic Point, the Republic had to offer. But unlike most Admirals, who went to the same Academy as him, the man simply refused to work with any Jedi General or Jedi in general. The times he did, it wasn't by choice. And even when assigned one, the Admiral didn't always obey orders or simply countermanded them. All with disastrous results. He was rude. Arrogant. And the only reason the man was still an Admiral was due to this family's wealth along with political connections. Plus, the ever growing public opinion of "Republic Jedi" going downhill didn't hurt the Admiral either.

But what few knew about Admiral Tosk was the man had issues with non human people overall and made no attempt to hide it. He despised Gungans, Wookiees, Rodians, and other non human or oddly shaped humanoid species. Unless you were a human being, the man had no respect for your race or you as a person.

"What is our Intel on the fleet and those assigned to it? Any Jedi?" asked Thrawn with the Commander Droid shaking its head no.

"Negative. Intel suggests no Jedi have been assigned to this enemy fleet or Admiral," said the Commander Droid while Thrawn nodded.

"Proceed with the engagement. Launch all fighters. Prepare to defend yourself against the enemy. But keep on the lookout for any ships that might come out of light speed to flank us from behind," commanded Thrawn knowing that while his ship and the fleet with him were powerful, it was unwise to leave things to chance.

Admiral Tosk was also known to be aggressive in his engagements with the enemy, as well as throw away the lives of his soldiers. It didn't matter if they were clones or loyal Republic volunteers. The man treated his troops, at best, like expendable droids or trash, at worst.

And Thrawn had no respect for someone like that. Whether they were a fellow officer, an enemy, or an ally.

When the Chiss Admiral shared his views with Dooku and Vader, the two men agreed such a person was a disgrace to anyone calling themselves a human being. In fact, both men had given Thrawn the green light to kill the man should the two ever engage in any form of combat and the opportunity presented itself.

Not only that, but it would humiliate the Republic even further if it got out a non human CIS Admiral leading a smaller fleet could defeat a Republic Admiral.

"We are being hailed my the enemy flagship," said the Commander Droid.

"Put it on the projector," ordered Thrawn while the man walked over to it.

And saw the face of his enemy.

Admiral Tosk was had short, black, standard military crisped hair. He had basic human features, but in the eyes of women, many would say he was attractive. He wore a crisp, clean Admiral's uniform with all the pins and stripes befitting his rank. His face was one of discipline and yet had a scowl on it. Which upon seeing Thrawn, sported a sneer, and a look of disgust.

 _"So it is true. The Separatist scum have recruited a new alien officer to fight for them. My Intel says you are supposedly some kind of tactical genius and prodigy in the way of war. But I'm not impressed. It is bad enough that I have to occasionally deal with Jedi, aliens of different races, or both when required. But to believe someone like yourself is a threat just makes me feel the Republic's fears are unwarranted,"_ said Admiral Tosk while he was looking Thrawn up and down.

And clearly wasn't impressed.

"And I can see the Intel we have on you is highly accurate. Your profile says you are a smug, arrogant fool, and bigot with his family's connections being the only reason for your rank. You may have graduated from Corulag's finest military academy, but the rank of Admiral is wasted on someone like yourself," countered Thrawn while analyzing every aspect of the man in front of him during the conversation.

Every twitch of a muscle. Every movement of the eyes. The sound of the man's voice as he spoke first to Thrawn were all a means to produce a tactical advantage over him.

As well as seeing how the Admiral will respond to an insult that was clearly deserved.

 _"You insolent alien filth! Trash like you dares to accuse me of being unworthy of my own rank? Of this position?! If anyone is unworthy of being an officer, much less an_ _ **Admiral**_ _, it is a blue skinned creature like yourself. It is a shame your species had to have such an inferior look in terms of skin. I could almost respect you. Almost,"_ said Admiral Tosk, as he saw Thrawn didn't rise to take the insults or the bait to make the Chiss angry.

"I take it you wish to talk terms?" asked Thrawn while Admiral Tosk looked at him with venom in his eyes.

 _"If you were human, yes. But you are not. I do not show mercy to alien scum like you. Not now. Not ever! I only wanted to see your face so I know what you look like and report to my superiors how I bested the Separatist's new so called 'secret weapon' with ease,"_ said Tosk while Thrawn didn't look the least bit intimidated or angry at his words.

"Highly unlikely Admiral. Though I do encourage you to try your hardest to win against me in our battle. It would be extremely disappointing if you didn't," said Thrawn before calmly cutting the connection to the now angry Admiral.

Let the battle begin.

(Coruscant-Supreme Chancellor's Office)

Sidious frowned in his office. The report given to him showed his enemies had obtained a powerful ally in the form of a blue skin alien calling himself Thrawn. The blue skinned humanoid was given the rank of a Admiral right away, but it was clear that he was very qualified to have such a rank and would moving himself up the ranks to Grand Admiral soon enough. The Chiss had engaged Admiral Tosk in a space battle with a fleet that was much noticeably smaller than the Admiral, yet came out of it victorious despite the odds. Granted, Admiral Tosk was not worthy of his rank, but in the eyes of many, to best one seasoned Admiral when you were just given the rank of Admiral was impressive.

And the public on a Galactic scale knew it.

And it wasn't just Admiral Tosk who lost to Thrawn either. Several Jedi Generals had also failed to best Thrawn openly in combat. At best, they forced the man into a draw, and he retreated soon after. Some would think the retreat would signify loss, but Sidious knew better since Thrawn was able to keep most of his ships during those retreats. And neither Dooku nor Vader had any intention of punishing the blue skinned man for those draws or losses against the Jedi since they were so few to begin with.

'If only I had obtained the man first to fight for the Republic. Or found out where his race originated from. I could have persuaded him to fight for me until the time came for my Empire to rise,' thought Sidious while frowning at how the public opinion of the war was not going in his favor.

Granted, it did make the Senate give him more power to make deliberations go faster. But it didn't help that a large portion of key Republic worlds joined the CIS and another side in the form of neutral planets had formed as a result. Neutral. Bah! They merely wanted to wait out the entire war and side with the winning team when it was all said and done.

The fact Naboo had been one of those planets and the former Queen and Senator Amidala was among its chief founding members didn't help either. It weakened his position in the Senate for a time, but it was nothing too serious to be concerned about. With the way the war was waging the people needed him as a central form of leadership during these dark times.

Still, it was unsettling how things were becoming gloomy for the Republic's image. Even for him. The time was not right, nowhere near it, to turn the Republic to be transformed into an Empire. He had to win the war first! But Darth Vader was making it increasingly difficult. His constant exposures of Senate corruption had made many worlds flock to the cause of the Separatists or become neutral. It was getting to the point where other factions with key space routes like the Hutts would need to be contacted.

If not for the fact that Vader had launched his own campaign against the Hutts and wiped out the entire slug race from existence. Afterwards, the Sith Lord had taking the massive wealth from each Hutt Clan to further bolster the CIS treasury to insane amounts.

There was also rumors of a major construction project being performed by them, but it was so top secret that the only reason Sidious knew of it was his spies were monitoring their supply shipments. While he could not pinpoint the route these supplies were going, Sidious hidden Sith Lord knew his rival was planning something big.

 _Very_ big.

'Could he be planning to build the Death Star? My secret creation designed to keep the Force subservient to me? How could he know about my creation? How could he know of my plans to eventually make such a supreme weapon of mass destruction? Still, if I could get proof of his intentions, exposing the Separatists for making such a weapon...yes. Yes! The planets within CIS space and neutral would flock to the Republic again to stop such a thing from being made. Never realizing that I would seize it for myself when my Empire was forged and use to keep those naive fools in line when trying to oppose me,' thought Sidious while contacting the Clone Intelligence Unit to order them to monitor the CIS more closely.

He would expose his enemy and take what they had to further strengthen himself and the Empire that would be forged using their deaths!

(Jedi Temple-Sometime Later)

"We are losing the war! Against the Separatists, the Sith, and even the Galaxy's public opinion of us!" exclaimed a Jedi Master with frustration in his voice.

"I agree. Our resources have thinned. Jedi have either been killed or left the Order. More of them have been found locked away in a prison we had designed centuries ago to hold rouge Jedi. The public on a Galactic scale sees us as unstable. It is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain momentum in this war," said Master Koth with worry in his voice.

"Not to mention the public now knows about how we have been taking infants from their parents shortly after birth and denied contact with them long after adulthood. I have been hearing rumors and whispers in the Senate of a law banning the Jedi Order from taking them when they are so young," said Jedi Master Shaak Ti.

"Politicians have no business in Jedi matters. Much less how we claim Force sensitives into our ranks. Besides, if we don't claim them around that time, the parents might form attachments to the children. Not to mention it prevents us from stamping any emotions out of the children we obtain," said Jedi Consular Tarbes almost heartlessly.

"There have also been accusations of certain Jedi Masters using the Force to influence a parent to giving up their child when they refuse," added Shaak Ti with the Jedi Consular shrugging his shoulders.

"One or two instances. Hardly something we need to worry about if the public raises an issue over it," commented the Jedi Master Chromic while many in the room narrowed their eyes at him.

"There shouldn't be one or two instances. If the parent says no, we have no right to take the child away from them. It makes us no better than the Sith," said Master Windu while the two Jedi Masters from the Consular Class didn't see it that way.

In the years since Vader's sudden appearance and the revelation that the Sith were not wiped out like they first thought, the Jedi Order was increasingly growing more divided. The Jedi Consulars were becoming increasingly resistant to fighting in the Clone Wars, denouncing it on their end, and some openly admitting that the Republic was wrong to even fight the Separatists. They also felt that one's existence in the physical life was immaterial and that transforming into the Force upon death was so natural that it should not be impeded.

It had been a growing unpopular belief among the people within the Republic since not everyone wanted to give up the physical life. Not only that, but not everyone believed in the Force and thus didn't like the idea of simply doing nothing during a war to stop the violence except possibly die at some random moment in time.

The Jedi Order as a whole tried to state they didn't agree with the Jedi Consulars who believed in such a position, but the damage was already done. Adding the accusations of the Jedi Order taking and keeping Force sensitive children from their parents once taken while denying any and all contact didn't help either. Many people felt that it didn't make sense since children needed emotional loving support from their parents. To learn all of the core values and beliefs of their parents and to become a respected member of society. Not only that, but the people didn't understand why the Jedi even banned parents to have contact with their children long after said children were full grown?

Needless to say, it was causing more and more people to resent the Jedi Order.

"The Jedi Order needs members Master Ti. Not only that, but parents of these children have neither the skill or knowledge on how to deal with Force sensitive children. Only a Jedi can do what it needed to keep them from lashing out with the Force," said another Jedi Consular looking to be of lizard like origin.

"But the pain we cause the parents is not something Jedi should do. And the Galaxy is a large place with countless planets. We will never be able to connect with people with Force sensitive children. What happens when we come across a youth strong in the Force, but has attachments to his parents like Master Qui-gon did with young Skywalker? asked Shaak Ti knowing there were some rare instances like Anakin's regarding Jedi finding Force sensitive children deemed "too old" by the Order.

"We do what is necessary," said the Jedi Master with a hint of something in his tone some of the Jedi in the room didn't like in the slightest.

"And does that include plotting to kill fellow Jedi or have them imprisoned?" asked Mace Windu while some of the Jedi in the room looked uncomfortable or nervous.

"If necessary. They went against the teachings of the Jedi Order. Some were involved in secret relationships or were planning to alter the Jedi Code to some degree. They had to be stopped!" said another Jedi Consular in the room.

"And what of Anakin Skywalker? What if he is in fact the Chosen One? Surely you do not wish to go against the Will of the Force?" questioned Master Koth while sensing the emotions in the room just like Master Windu and Master Yoda were doing.

"That issue has yet to be proven. Besides, the Jedi Order has no need for such a person to do such a thing. Especially if it bring about changes that are unnecessary," commented a Jedi Master Tarbes, who was from a asexual reproducing race with a strict resistance in the way of changing things when tradition or precedent was set.

"Even if it means going against the Will of the Force?" asked Master Ti knowing few in the history of the Jedi Order dared to try.

"Even the Force makes mistakes. We are simply redirecting its Will to be more beneficial to the Jedi Order and those who wield its power," said Jedi Master Chromic, who came from a semi-predatory race in the Outer-Rim with his race's way of raising their young to be questionable.

Not surprising considering his race believed that raising the young shortly after the birth did not provide them strength in their environment. As such, tradition dictated the child be abandoned at the age of five years, and had to survive in the harsh wilderness of their world for thee more. Only by proving their worth would they be allowed into the family and that was if they could remember their family's scent. If they were wrong, the child was killed, and was considered a disgrace to the real family's bloodline.

When a Jedi Master came upon his people, Chromic was just born, and his parents were told about his Force potential. Feeling the child's new found abilities were a crutch or a cheat, they gave him to the Jedi Master to do with as the Order saw fit. Raised by Jedi Order, the youngling grew up learning under a Jedi Consular, who was strict with him when it came to emotions. Saying emotions of any kind led to the Dark Side, whether they were positive or negative. It didn't matter. Positive ones could lead to arrogance, which led to greed, ambition, a hunger for power, and ultimately being seduced to the Dark Side. Negative emotions naturally brought the same result, but ultimately with far more easier paths to the Dark Side.

Hence no emotions and thus no Dark Side of the Force to influence you.

At the time, Chromic embraced those beliefs his Master imparted to him, and tried to pass them onto other members of the Jedi Order himself. Some embraced such thinking while others did not. Emotions were life some said. To denounce it or cut them off was to remove life from your very being. To Chromic, they were fools. Idiots. Traitors to the Jedi Order and all it stood for in the last 1,000 years.

Like Master Tarbes, he believed the Force has a Will of its own, but the Will of the Force could be wrong in what it wanted. They felt as Jedi Consulars of the Order, it was set upon them to do their duty and "redirecting" the Will of the Force. And in doing so, to better serve the Jedi Order in maintaining their own strength, power, and influence in the Galaxy.

"Even if it means killing me?" asked Anakin Skywalker while he and Jedi Master Qui-gon entered the Council chambers.

"You're alive?!" exclaimed Tarbes in shock and with a hint of nervousness.

"You sound surprised Master. Why is that? Surely, you are happy to see two members of the Jedi Order alive and breathing after the events surrounding the planet we were on?" asked Qui-gon while Tarbes did his best to hide his sudden emotional moment.

"We had heard reports of your demise. Though seeing you here is more of a relief since the Republic has need of your talents," said Chromic calmly though he did glance at the other Jedi in the room and wondered who else knew of their survival.

"I have no problem fighting for the Republic. What I do have a problem with, are certain members of the Jedi Order trying to set us up to die," said Anakin while his arms were crossed in front of him and glaring at Chromic and Tarbes.

"Outrageous! Such insolence on your part. You dare make such an accusation here in this room? Before this Council? Without proof?!" questioned Tarbes furiously since he felt such an accusation had to be nipped in the bud and stamped out.

"Who said I was without proof? When I was on Jabiim with Master Qui-gon, we were overrun by the Separatists forces. I personally sent a message to the Jedi Order to send in reinforcements to our position. I know the message was received because I saw it had been and was informed it would be sent to the Jedi Council immediately," said Anakin while Tarbes scowled.

"That proves nothing. The environment you were in was hostile from the start. They could have intercepted the transmission or blocked it. There could have been planetary inference from the weather. In any case, if there had been a transmission, the Jedi in charge of it would have reported such a message immediately," said Tarbes while Yoda made a noise.

"Unless, the Jedi in charge deleted it, they did," said Master Yoda while giving Tarbes a piercing look.

"For what purpose Master Yoda?" asked Shaak Ti while sensing the Jedi Consulars in the room growing more nervous.

"To kill the Chosen One, they had hoped. To end the prophecy, they wanted. To prevent change from happening within the Jedi Order, their goal," said Master Yoda while Shaak Ti was surprised by this.

"There is no proof a Jedi would do such a thing," said Chromic while his fingers on his chair twitched slightly.

"I found the data stream where young Skywalker's request for reinforcements was located and had been erased. Records of who was monitoring the transmission during that time has also been erased. Something only a Jedi Master or a member of this Council has the authority to do," commented Master Windu while glaring at certain Jedi in the room.

"You suspect one of us?" asked Chromic while Anakin's glare intensified.

"No. I'm accusing _all of you_. More specifically, all of you who are Consular Class Jedi," said Anakin while two mentioned Jedi Consulars in the room glared at him.

"Watch your tone Knight Skywalker. You may believe that your status as the so called 'Chosen One' give you some kind of special status, but it doesn't! You are accusing your fellow Jedi, Masters no less, of this with circumstantial proof. You are not fit to be a Jedi with emotions such as yours," stated Chromic while Anakin glared at him.

"I would rather have emotions over not having any at all. How can the Jedi Order say it cares about people when we isolate ourselves from the people? How can we say our purpose is to protect people and serve the Force when all we do is enforce questionable policies set by the Senate?" asked Anakin while the Jedi Consulars in the room glared harder.

"You do not have the right nor the authority to question how the Jedi Order does things in terms of its relations with the Republic. We have stood like this for 1,000 years and have no need to change the Order for the supposed betterment of the Galaxy!" stated Chromic while letting out a huff.

"Really? Because the sheer number of Jedi leaving the Order or died during the war says otherwise. Not to mention how those who were imprisoned unjustly and now side with the Separatists," counter Anakin while Chromic and Tarbes scowled angrily.

"Those who left or freed from the prison are traitors to the Jedi Order. When this war is over, they will dealt with in accordance with our ways," said Tarbes with many of the Jedi Masters in the room not liking that statement.

"You assume they will be punished. Leaving the Jedi Order is not a crime. In fact, many of the Jedi who did leave us have not joined the Separatists. Instead, they wished to travel the Galaxy and rediscover their connection to the Force. There is no crime in that," said Qui-gon since he knew some of the Jedi who did leave and actually wished them well on their travels.

"They should stay here and make the Jedi Order stronger as a central point of the Galaxy. Not spread themselves out. The Jedi Order is a pillar. It stands tall above all things and has no equal," said Chromic while Shaak Ti and Mace Windu frowned.

"I always felt the Jedi Order should be more like a tree. Multiple branches. Spread out through the Galaxy. Touching people, systems, and worlds to make everyone better. To be a pillar is to stand still and become stagnant," said Anakin while Chromic and Tarbes scowled at him.

"And that is why you are a Knight and we are Masters. It is no wonder your nominations for being a Master have been rejected time and time again. With your way of thinking, you will _never_ be given such a rank," commented Tarbes while Anakin's face looked absolutely furious.

"My nominations were rejected because of Masters like you, who sit in this Temple doing nothing while Knights like myself, and Masters like mine are out on the front lines of a war. A war we are slowly losing because of so called Jedi Masters like you who refuse to fight in it!" exclaimed Anakin angrily while Chromic snarled and showed his sharp teeth.

"We refuse to participate in this war because it causes pain, suffering, strife, and death to those in it. By not involving ourselves in this senseless war, the Dark Side does not grow stronger. Our actions prevent the Dark Side from feeding on such things," said Chromic while Anakin looked like he was ready to draw his Lightsaber on him.

"The people dying and fighting in this war are in the millions. Two Jedi Masters, at least, who refuse to fight in it hardly keeps the Dark Side from getting stronger! If anything, your inaction to fight makes the Dark Side grow because of the stagnation you bring to the table," said Anakin knowing neither of these Jedi had fought in the Clone Wars, yet acted like they were his better for it.

"You are an insolent whelp, who knows nothing of the Force. You go run off to fight in a war and suddenly it makes you a Master? Or worthy of being one? You have neither the knowledge or wisdom to become one and never will be one so long as Jedi like myself sit on this Council!" said Chromic firmly.

"And how did you become a Master exactly? How did you earn your rank and position?" demanded Anakin while taking a step forward, but a firm hand from Qui-gon stopped his advancement.

"By following the teachings of our assigned Masters. We didn't question them. Argue with them. We learned and embraced their teachings. Clearly, your choice in a Master was a mistake. He should have been paired with Kenobi. He would have kept your wild nature in line. Stamped it out. You should have never been a Jedi. Prophecy or not!" said Chromic while Anakin growled.

It actually sounded somewhat intimidating.

"Really? I could say the same thing about you. Jedi are suppose to be compassionate and caring of people. Yet you do nothing for them during these dark times for them. What did your Masters teach you about the people and helping them with their continued suffering from it?" questioned Anakin while the two Jedi Masters looked increasingly irritated.

"We can only help the people to a certain degree. What else they go through is not our concern," said Chromic since his own culture's beliefs had rubbed off on him since he had been curious in his youth about what his species did and did some research on them.

"And you wonder why the public on a Galactic scale thinks so poorly of the Jedi Order," countered Anakin with Chromic and Tarbes now looking ready to retaliate.

"Enough! Master Chromic. Master Tarbes. You are to be escorted to your quarters and are to stay there until further notice. You are relived of your duties on this Council," said Master Windu while both Jedi Master looked at him in shock.

"You can't be serious?!" demanded Tarbes while Master Windu gave him a withering glare.

"Either you go to your quarters willingly or several Jedi will do it by force," warned Master Windu while Tarbes and Chromic glared back.

"On what charges are we removed from this Council?" demanded Tarbes.

"Conspiring against your fellow Jedi. Conspiring to imprison innocent Jedi. Conspiring to murder fellow Jedi. All of whom are not Jedi Consular class," said Master Plo Koon from his own hologram projected form while having stayed quiet the entire time just to see the events playing out before him.

"With what proof? Some supposed transmission being deleted? Some lost Jedi found in prisons? The word of this... _boy_?!" demanded Tarbes while Yoda made his Force presence flood the room to remind them Masters here who was in charge.

"Digging further before this meeting, I did. Found more evidence, there was. Know more about the conspirators, I do," said Yoda while glaring at the two so called Jedi Masters with an ever knowing look.

"How could you do it? How could you and the others like you conspire against the rest of the Jedi Order?" demanded Anakin while the two nearly snarled at him and rising from their seats in defiance.

"Against the Order? We of the Consular Class _are_ the Jedi Order. We have seen what the other Jedi classes have caused during their time and the effects they have played on the Galaxy. All the other classes do is cause pain, suffering, and chaos in their wake. But not us. We will not act like barbarians and brutes with our Lightsabers and aggressive abuse of our Force Powers. We see things clearly. We see the future. We see that fighting in a war is not the Jedi way. We handle things as diplomats and advisors who guide those in power to do the right thing. We guide them to a proper future through words and wisdom that allows them act in a civil manner," said Tarbes while believing the way to help the Galaxy was through words and reason instead of the pointy tip of the Lightsaber.

They believed using the Force to influence the minds within the Senate to make and set policies where all benefitted from the actions done there. Which was way they had felt during the end of the Jedi/Sith War, the Jedi should be closely bound to the Senate so such a plan could be put into effect. It was also their chance to remove or weaken the other two classes over time in case they tried to impede the plan they set into motion if it was ever discovered.

As far as they were concerned at the time, the Sith were wiped out. Gone forever! Why would the Galaxy need warriors or anything weapon related. They had the Force. They would ascend to a level beyond the physical one upon death so it was not like caring for the people was a must.

Just the minds and actions of those running the Galactic Republic.

Only now, somewhere along the way, it seemed the Force had decided their way, after 1,000 years, had to change. It was foolish in their minds. They had general peace for nearly a millennia and the Force wanted to change things. While their core beliefs were to follow the Will of the Force when commanded, they also felt that the Force could make mistakes in rare instances. This being one of them. So they chose to do something about it in terms of...well not defying it per se, but rather _altering_ its Will to better suit their own needs over the original intentions of the Force itself. Hence why they spent the latter part of the millennia having Jedi who were a threat to go missing, being imprisoned, or if truly necessary... _killed_.

Hence why they have been trying to do everything in their power to help keep most of the Jedi Consular Class within the Order alive. They had secretly instructed others like them to not fight in the war or if they did, to give the bare minimum effort in the fighting since that was the job of the clone army. Let the living pawns fight against the soulless droids of the Separatists and let those who seek to avoid war thrive in the aftermath.

The Jedi Consulars like them knew when the war did end, peace would follow, and those in power would be those they could advise to keep the peace.

And they would be the true power in the Galaxy.

But the plan had gone bad for them. They had never expected the Force to turn against them in the way it did. They didn't expect the Sith returning after 1,000 years and taking their influence in the Senate from them. They didn't expect a war to break out and cause their overall plan to be exposed in such a way in front of so many who within the Order who would oppose them.

"Such arrogance," said Mace before the two Jedi Consulars used the Force to knock almost everyone back and rushed for the door.

Only to be blocked by Anakin, who had his Lightsaber drawn, and now pointed at Tarbes in a threatening manner.

"Don't move," growled Anakin while he activated his Lightsaber and fully intended to use it.

"Stand aside boy," commanded Tarbes while putting the Force into his voice to make Anakin obey.

But the Jedi Consular clearly underestimated the younger man's power and shook off the command before slicing Tarbes's right arm off.

"Unhand me! I command you to obey us!" commanded Chromic while he was restrained by Shaak Ti and Mace Windu with both Jedi Masters using their own skills to keep him from getting free.

"Forgotten your place as Jedi, you have. Abuse your position, guilty I sense. Correct this situation, I will," said Master Yoda while he walked past Chromic and saw Tarbes on his knees in pain.

"Now do you see Master Yoda. The boy prefers violence to reason. He chooses a path that will lead him to the Dark Side. Expel him from the order. Cut him off from the Force and throw him out! Do what must be done to preserve what the Jedi Order has had for the last 1,000 years. Stop this entity of change from destroying our peaceful existence!" said Tarbes while hoping the Grandmaster would see reason.

"A peace forged from lies and deceit with the intent to overstep your bounds in areas the Jedi were not meant to go. How are your methods any different from those of the Sith Lords who lived in ancient times?" demanded Anakin and saw Tarbes glare back at him.

"We bring peace, wisdom, light, and understanding. All you do is bring brute force and violence, which leads to the Dark Side!" countered Tarbes with Yoda shaking his head.

"Words alone, not enough to fight the Dark Side. Words without strength, weak they are. Must be ready to fight should the Dark Side attack with violence, we must," said Yoda while Chromic shook his head.

"The Dark Side is a fire. Let it burn itself out. Let it consume itself. By fighting them, we only make the flames stronger. We add fuel to it. We make our enemies powerful. By not fighting, we will be hurting the Dark Side," said Chromic with Yoda shaking his head.

"Do nothing and evil will win, it can. The Dark Side nor the Sith care if we fight it, they do. Only care about winning, it does. Whether by violence or other means, they will," said Yoda while Chromic continued to struggle against the two Jedi Masters and Tarbes clutching his stump of an arm.

"All the more reason not to play their game. They cannot win so long as we do not play the game they set for us," said Chromic while Anakin glared at the fool.

"Are you blind or just plain stupid? The Sith don't setup a game where you have to play in order for them to win. They arrange it so no matter what we do, they will still win one way or another. Its better to fight to stop their schemes over doing nothing while they gain a foothold!" countered Anakin while Tarbes glared from his position in front of the young Jedi Knight.

"You think stopping us will stop our goals from coming to fruition? We are not the only Jedi in the Order who think this way. We will not be stopped. Not by you, Master Yoda, the other Jedi in the Order, or even the Sith themselves. We will take control of the Jedi Order and bring the everlasting peace through our power. Anyone who stands in our way is an enemy of the _true_ Jedi and the Force," said Tarbes while Anakin leaned down.

"You're way of doing things has left the Jedi Order stagnant and weak. Because of you, the Jedi Order has become its weakest ever while our enemies see their opportunity to crush us. They don't care about words, the Force, or us possibly ascending to a higher level of existence when we die. They care about seeing us die and destroying what we leave behind for a legacy until all is left are stories or rumors. Is that what you want? For the Jedi Order to fade away into dust? Just because you have no issues becoming some kind of ascended spirit in the Force? What about the people of the Galaxy? Don't they matter?" demanded Anakin while Tarbes just looked at him cold, nearly emotionless eyes.

"The Force is all that matters. Everything and everyone else is immaterial. I welcome the day I become one with the Force. To leave the physical level and ascend to the spiritual. Anything else is an attachment that must be removed," said Tarbes as if he was speaking like it was indoctrinated inside his head.

"If I were a lesser man or Jedi, I would remove your head from the rest of your wretched slimo body," said Anakin while thinking of all the innocent lives these Jedi and those like them had ruined over the years for an entire millennia.

"Anakin," warned Qui-gon though he knew the Jedi Knight wouldn't do it.

"But I won't. You and the rest of your conspirators will be rounded up and answer for all their crimes before going to the very prison you sent those betrayed Jedi to over the years to get your way," said Anakin since he felt it was fitting.

"You have no right! Jedi Consulars are the backbone of the Order. If you remove the majority of us, it will be weakened considerably. You can't risk such a thing during a time of war!" protested Chromic while glaring at the Jedi Knight.

"And if we don't remove you, the war will end with the Sith winning. I would rather we be weakened over being destroyed. At least we have a chance to recover and learn from this semi-weakened state," Anakin shot back.

"You don't know what you are doing! You will regret this!" exclaimed Chromic while he and Tarbes were being dragged out of the room.

"We need to put the entire Temple on lockdown. If we are going to find out who are like those two, we need to prevent them from leaving," said Anakin knowing this skirmish would not go unnoticed by others within the Jedi Temple.

"Agreed. Not only to keep this faction of the Jedi Consulars from escaping, but to keep the Sith from learning of this fracture within the Order," said Qui-gon knowing either Sith could or would pounce on this opportunity.

"As much as I hope they don't find out Master, I have a bad feeling one of them already knows the truth," said Anakin worriedly since he could feel it in the Force that one, if not both Sith were already aware of this noticeable fracture within the Jedi Order.

And yet the Force was not unhappy by this situation. If anything, it was...pleased? As if this was a long time coming and had finally revealed an ugly truth kept hidden.

(Dathomir-At the Moment)

Ky Narec watched from the sidelines as his former apprentice was sparring with other, now former, Jedi of the Republic. Helping them in regaining their lost strength, purpose, and ideals long since lost upon being betrayed before getting locked away in that damn prison. After they had been freed from said prison, Ky had talked to Dooku, and Vader about possible locations for them to hide and retrain them. Dooku had no problem with his home world being one such location, but also knew having several others would be ideal in case Serenno was ever attacked.

Putting all the former Jedi on one world would be too inviting for Sidious to launch some kind of invasion fleet against them just for that single purpose. One which neither Ky, Dooku, and Vader had no intention of letting happen anytime soon. Hence why Vader had ultimately suggested Dathomir as a secondary location. Few knew of the planet's location outside of those who lived and breathed within the Outer-Rim territories and those in the Outer-Rim territories had no intention of getting involved with the Clone Wars.

Ky agreed with the idea so long as he was one of the Jedi overseeing their rehabilitation along with Ventress since they were welcome on Dathomir. Vader agreed since it would not only hide the recovering Jedi there, but also strengthen relations with Dathomir as an ally for the future.

"You are proud of Ventress," commented Mother Talzin while standing beside him with a smile on her face.

"I am. I always will be proud of her," said Ky with a smile on his face while he saw his former apprentice wielding two Lightsabers and instructing the former Jedi on how to use them.

She still trained under Master Sifo Dias, but when Ventress wasn't learning, the woman was teaching, and passing on those teachings to the other Jedi. Ky couldn't be more proud of her for the accomplishments she achieved under his tutelage and during the war itself.

"You see yourself as her Father. The one she never knew. The one she never had," added Mother Talzin with Ky nodding.

"As time progressed, I came to the realization that Ventress would need more then just a teacher. Ventress needed a Father. Someone who could guide and care for her when growing up. The Jedi Order has always taken children from their parents at an extremely young age. It was a policy I never fully agreed with. If the parents were abusive or a risk to the child's health in any shape or form, then yes, it was necessary. But what if there was no risk? What if the family was kind, gentle, loving, and understanding of what their child's power could do? Why deny them? When I found Ventress, she was alone, scared, and I knew without proper guidance, it would spell disaster." said Ky Narec with Mother Talzin smiling gently.

"It is a shame you do not embrace the pleasures of the flesh. I know a few women in our tribe who love to give you a child born of your blood. I have no doubt they would strong in the Force like yourself," said Mother Talzin and was amused at how the Jedi looked a bit uncomfortable at hearing this.

"I'm sure they would. But I do not think such an offer can be considered so quickly. I also believe that a child should be born through love between both parents when together. Not simply lust and a desire to procreate. If I did decide to have a relationship with a woman, any woman for that matter, I would do it because of genuine love. Not simply to produce a strong Force sensitive child," said Ky while Mother Talzin nodded in respect to that belief.

"Maybe one day, you will find such a woman. And here among my tribe no less," said Mother Talzin with a knowing smile.

"A vision of the future?" asked Ky while Mother Talzin kept on smiling and walked away from him.

"That would be telling," commented the Mother Witch.

"Do not fret old friend. Women are even more of a mystery to us then even the Force," said Sifo Dias with an amused look on his face.

"I have often wondered what it would be like to be with a woman. To be married and have a child. Do you think Jedi should be allowed to marry? Have children?" asked Ky with a hint of uncertainty.

"I think they can and they should. It strengthens us. It allows us to form a strong bond with people and with those we care about. Granted, you won't be allowed to train your children fully, but it doesn't stop you from spending time with them, and providing some helpful methods to their training," said Sifo Dias causally while having a conversation with Dooku about it years ago and how the Jedi Order were fools to hide behind such fears of certain emotional attachments like love leading to the Dark Side.

Granted it could do that, but love also had the power to bring someone from the darkness into the Light. Love was a two way street and didn't have to be considered something so horrible that it should stomped out.

Ky had heard talks in the Jedi Order before leaving for the Outer-Rim. Whispers from Jedi from the Consular Class. They felt emotions should be stomped out of all Jedi. That they led members of the Order down the path of the Dark Side. That it fueled it and the best way to impede its progress was deny emotions.

They believe that by their actions, they would stop feeding the Dark Side. Ky thought and knew that even _IF_ , such a plan was used, it was ultimately foolish since the Dark Side of the Force could feed on negative emotions to gain strength. The only thing the Jedi really did, in Ky's opinion, was weaken themselves more than they did the Dark Side. It was not just _some_ emotions the Jedi Consulars wanted to stomp out of people, but _ALL_ of them. To feel nothing for anyone or anything. To simply exist and go through daily motions before one day dying and transforming into the Force.

Ky couldn't stand the thought of living in the Jedi Temple or being around fellow Jedi like that. Which is why he left for the Outer-Rim to do some real good and continue to have purpose away from the emotionless Jedi policy the Order seemed to be following. It had been his hope to find other Jedi, the ones who chose exile, and they could build their own version of the Jedi Order that did not follow what was being done on Coruscant.

To start fresh.

Only to find everything he had ever known to be turned in so many different directions when he had been rescued by a Sith Lord of all people. Now he was fighting for a newly formed Galactic government, opposing the Republic, opposing the Jedi Order, and was assisting in the retraining of Jedi who had been betrayed by a sect. within the Order itself.

It was hard to imagine such a thing could be happening in his lifetime.

"In a few more years, you could be ready for becoming a true Jedi Master my friend," said Sifo Dias with a smile on his face.

"Hardly. I am nowhere near as knowledgeable as you," said Ky while the Jedi Master beside let out an amused chuckle.

"Knowledge, like wisdom, is gained through experience in most cases. Since we have joined Dooku and Vader, both of us have obtained a new level of knowledge. Some of it we should have known from the start, but the teachings of the Jedi Order from our time there dulled our senses. Now, our skill, and our minds are sharper then we could have ever hoped them to be prior to this. We must press forward my friend. Only by relearning and unlearning what we know can a future for the Jedi and the rest of the Galaxy can survive the evil that is to come," said Sifo Dias with Ky nodding since Vader had let both men in on the true enemy waiting to invade their Galaxy in the next couple of decades to come.

They still had plenty of work left to do before the Galaxy was ready for that. They still had a Sith Lord in the shadows to worry about. One who would sooner let the Galaxy burn over letting it continue on without him.

(A/N: YAY! An update! Consider it my gift to you guys and the final update of 2018. When will the next one come up for my fics. Sometime after 2019. When will that be exactly? Hell if I know. LOL! Anyway, enjoy this chapter until the next one from one of my other fics when the New Year starts. It may take awhile though. Games, gifts, and work will keep me plenty busy so if I don't update for awhile...blame Christmas gifts and work. Until next time...PEACE!)


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